To SavE Arr BErNcs: BupoHrsrENvrnoNMENTaI Acrr vrsM

Stephanie Kaza

MEorraroRs FoRM A cIRCLE at the base camp of the Headwaters Forest.All are invited to join the Buddhists sitting still in the flurry of activiry.whileothers drum, talk, dance, and discuss strategy, the small group of ecosattvas-Buddhist environmental activists-focus on their breathing and intentionamidst the towering trees.They chant the Metta sutta to generate a field ofloving-kindness. Flere in volatile timber country they renew their pledges tothe most challenging task of Buddhist practice-to save all beings.

In this action, old-growth redwoods are the beings at risk, slated for har-vest on the Maxxam company property in northern california. ljntil recent-ly the sixty-thousand-acre ecosystem was logged slowly and sustainably by asmall family company. Then in 1985 logging accelerated dramatically fol-lowing a hostile corporate buyout. Alarmed by the loss of irreplaceablegiants, forest defenders have fought tirelessly to halt clear-cutting and pre-serve these ancient stands of redwoods. They have been joined byHollywood stars, rock singers, and Jewish rabbis, many willing ro pracrlcecivil disobedience in protest. How is it that Buddhists have become involvedwith this effort?

Motivated by ecological concerns, the ecosattvas formed as an affinirygroup at Green Gulch zen center in Marin county, california. As part oftheir practice they began exploring the relationship between Zen trainingand environmental activism. They wanted to know: what does it mean totake the bodhisattva vow as a call to save endangered species, decimatedforests, and polluted rivers? what does it mean to engage in environmentalactivism from a Buddhist perspective?1 The ecosattvas are part of an emerg-lng movement of ecospiritual activism, backed by a parallel academic devel-opment which has become the field of Religion and Ecology.2 christianscholars, Jewish social justice groups, Hindu tree-planting prqects, and

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Kaza, Stephanie. 2000. To Save All Beings: Buddhist Environmental

Activism, in Engaged Buddhism in the West, ed. Christopher S. Queen,

Boston: Wisdom Publications, pp 159-183.

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Islamic resistance to usurious capitalism are all part of this movement.Buddhist efforts in the United States like those of the ecosattvas are matchedby r-'onks in Thailand protesting the oil pipeline from lJurma and ribetansteaching environmental education in I)haramsala.-'

Activist scholar Joanna Macy suggests these actions are all part of the"third turning of the wheel [of Dharma]," her sense that Buddhism is under-going a major evolutionary shift at the turn of the millennium.+ In todaytcontext, one of the oldest teachings of the Buddha-pa ticca samuppada ordependent co-arising-is finding new form in the ecology movement. Ifecosystem relationships are the manifestation of interdependence, then pro-tecting ecosystems is a way to protect the l)harma: "with the Third Ti.rrningof the Wheel, we see that everything we do impinges on all beings."s Actingwith compassion in response to the rapidly accelerating environmental crisiscan be seen as a natural fruit oflluddhist practice.

Is there a Buddhist ecospiritual movement in North America? Not inany obvious sense, at least not yet. No organizations have been formed topromote Iluddhist environmentalism; no clearly defined environmental agen-da has been agreed upon by a group of self-identified American Buddhists.However, teachers are emerging, and Buddhist students of all ages are drawnto their writings and ideas.Writers Joanna Macy and Gary Snyder have madeecological concerns the center of their tsuddhist practice. Teachers ThichNhat Hanh and His Holiness the Dalai Lama have frequently urged mindfulaction on behalf of the environment. Activists John Seed, Nanao Sakaki, andothers are beginning to define a Buddhist approach to environmentalactivism. There is a strong conversation developing among 'Western andEastern Buddhists, asking both practical and philosophical questions from thisemerging perspective.With environmental issues a mounting global concern,Buddhists of many traditions are creatively adapting their religious heritageto confront these di{Ecult issues.

In this chapter I begin the preliminary work of documenting the scopeof Buddhist environmentalism in the late r99os, gathering together the his-torical and philosophical dimensions of what has been called "greenBuddhism." This study wil l be necessarily l imited to'Western Buddhism, inkeeping with the focus of this volume. However, it is importanr ro note thestrong relationship with other global initiatives. Buddhist tree-ordaining inThailand, for example, has inspired similar ceremonies in California.6Environmental destruction by logging and uranium mining in Tibet hasprompted the formation of the U.S.-based Eco-Tibet g.o.rp.t Environmentalissues in Buddhist countries have been a natural magnet for Buddhist activistsin the west. But'western Buddhists have taken other initiatives locally, bring-

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ing their Buddhist and environnrental sensibil i t ies to bear on nuclear wasre,consumerism, anin'ral rights, and forest defense.n Out of these impulsesBuddhist environmental activism is taking shape, based on distinct princi-ples and practices.

One of the most challenging aspects of documenting these develop-ments is f inding the hidden stories. In the United States today, environ-mentalism has grown so strong as a polit ical and cultural force that it is sr-rf-fenng the impact of "brorvnlash," as biologists Paul and Anne Ehrlich callit. christian fundamentaiism is often all ied with the wing of the conserva-t ive r ight that pronrulgares ant i -envi ronnrenta l v iews.Taking a st rong envi -ronmental position as a sell:proclaimed Buddhist can be doubly threaren-ing. My personal experience is that the environmental arena is a place toact as a small "b" I luddhist.This means concentrating on the message of theBuddha by cultivating awareness, tolerance, a.d unclerstanding, and actingfrom a loving presence. "ln l luddhisnr, we say that the presence of onemindful person can have great influence on society and is thus very impor-tant."' Mindful Buddhist practit ioners engaging diff icult environmentalissues may not proclainr their Buddhisrn to help solve the problem athand. Yet they can bring inner strength and moral courage to the taskat hand, drawing on the teachings of the Buddha as a basic framework foreffective action.

LOOKING BACKwhen Buddhism arrived in thewest in the mid-r8oos, there was litt le thatcould be called an environmental movement. Although Henry l)avidThoreau had written Walden in 185,1, it was not until the end of the centu-ry that a serious land conservatron rnovement coalesced. Advocates recog-nizing the unique heritage of such landforms asYellowstone,Yosemite, andthe Grand canyon pressed for the establishrnent of the National Park sys-tem. Conservationists alert to the ravaging of eastern forests and the rush tocut the west spurred the formation of the National Forest Service. l]ut seri-ous concern about overpopulation, air and water pollution, and endangeredspecies did not ignite unti l the r96os. Since then the l ist of dangerous threatshas only increased-toxic wastes, ozone depletion, global climate change,genetic engineering, endocrine disrupters-fires are burning on all fronts.

The most recent'western wave of interest in Iluddhism coincides almostexactly with the expansion of the environmental movement.r"your,g peoplebreaking out of the constrictions of the r95os took their curiosiry and spir-itual seeking to India, Southeast Asia, and Japan; some discovered Buddhistmeditation and brought it back to the lJnited stares.rr During this period,

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Gary Snyder was probably the most vocal in spell ing out the l inksbetween Buddhist practice and ecological activism. His books of poetry,Thrtle Island GszD and Axe Handles (rq8:), expressed a strong feeling forthe land, influenced by his seven years of Zen training inJapan. Hts ry74essay "Four changes" laid out the current conditions of the world interms of population, pollution, consumption, and the need for socialtransformation. core to his analysis was the Buddhist perspective "that weare interdependent energy fields of great potential wisdom and compas-sion."12 Snyder's ideas were adopted by the counterculture througrr hisaffi l iation with beat writers Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg and thenfurther refined in his landmark collection of essays, The practice of thewi ld. \3

Interest in Buddhism increased steadily through the r97os along withthe swell ing environmental, civil r ights, and women's movements.'whilecongress passed such landmark environmental laws as the MarineMammal Protection Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the Nationa./Environmental Protection Act, Buddhist centers and teachers werebecoming established on both coasts. San Francis co zen center, forexample, expanded to two additional sites-a wilderness monasrery arTassajara, tsig Sur, and a rural farm and garden temple in Marin county.By the r98os the Buddhist Peace Fellowship was well along in its activistagenda and a number of Buddhist teachers were beginning to address theenvironmental crisis in their talks. In his r989 Nobel peace prize accepr-ance speech His Holiness the Dalai Lama proposed making Tibet aninternational ecological reserve.la Thich Nhat Hanh, the influentialBuddhist peace activist andvietnamese Zen monk, referred often to eco-logical principles in his writ ings and talks on "interbeing," the Buddhistteaching of interdependence. rs

The theme was picked up by Buddhist publications, conferences, andretreat centers. Buddhist Peace Fellowship featured the environment inTi'rrningwheel and produced a substantial packet and poster for Earth Dayr99o.'" The first popular anthology of Buddhism and ecology writ ings,Dharma caia, was published by Parallax press that same year, followingthe more scholarly collection, Nature in AsianTiaditions oJThought.ti worldwide Fund for Nature brought out a series of books on five world reli-gions, including Buddhism and Ecology.t8 Tricycle magazine examined greenBuddhism and vegetarianism in r994;te shambhala san interviewed GarySnyder and Japanese anti-nuclear poet-activist Nanao Sakaki.20 Thevipassana newsletter Inquiring Mind produced an issue on "cominghome"; Tbn Directions of zen center Los Angeles , Mountain Record of zen

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Mountain Monastery, and Blind Donkey of Honolulu Diamond Sanshaalso took up the question of environmental practice.

Some retreat centers confronted ecological issues head on. GreenGulch zen center in northern california had to work out warer useagreements with its farming neighbors and the Golden Gate NationalRecreation Area.Zen Mountain Monastery in Newyork faced off withthe Department of Environmental conservation over a beaver dam andforestry issues. In earlier days when vegetarianism was not such a popu-lar and commercially viable choice, most Buddhist centers went againsrthe social grain by refraining from meat-eating, often with an awarenessof the associated environmental problems. Several Buddhist centers madesome effort to grow their own organic food.2l outdoor walking medita-tion gained new stature through backpacking and canoeing retreats onboth coasts.

By the r99os, spirituality and the environment had become a hot tooic.The first "Earth and Spirit" conference was held in Seattle in r99o, andBuddhist workshops were part of the program. Middlebury college invermont hosted a "spirit and Nature" conGrence that same year with theDalai Lama as keynote speaker, sharing his Buddhist message for protectionof the enviro.r-..,t.t' More intefaith conferences followed and ]luddhismwas always represented at the table. By t993, human rights, social justice, andthe environment were top agenda items at the parliame.,t of ih. worrd'sReligions in chicago. Buddhists from all over the world gathered withchristians, Hindus, pagans, Jews, Jains, and Musrims to consider the role ofreligion in responding to the environmental crisis.

Parallel sparks of interest were ignited in the academic communiry.Though both environmental studies and religious studies programs werewell established in the academy, very few addressed the overlap i.t*..., thetwo fields. In rggz religion and ecology scholars formed a new group in theAmerican Academy of Religion and began soliciting papers Ln en ri.on-mental philosophy, animal rights, Gaian cosmology, and other envrronmen-tal topics. out of this initiative, colleagues generated campus interreligiousdialogues and new religion and ecology courses. In the spring of ry97,MaryEvelyn Tucker and John Grimm of Bucknell (Jniversity .o.,r.r.d the firstof a series of academic conferences with the aim of defining the field of reli-gion and ecology.23 The first of these addressed Buddhism and Ecology; thevolume of collected papers was the first publication in th. ,..i.r.ri Th.sprtng 1998 meeting of the Internarional Buddhist-Christian TheoloqicalEncounter also focused on the environment, looking deeply at the imfactsof consumer ism.2s

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For the most part, the academic community did not address the prac-tice of I luddhist environmentalism. This was explored more by sociallyengaged Buddhist teachers such as Thich Nhat Hanh, Bernie Glassman,the Dala i Lama, Sulak Sivaraksa, Chr is topherTi tmuss,John Daido Loor i ,and Phi l ip Kapleau.26 One leader in developing a Buddhist ecologicalperspective for activists was Joanna Macy. Her doctoral research exploredthe significant parallels and distinctions between'Western general systemstheory and Buddhist philosophy.tt ltr her sought-after classes and work-shops, Macy developed a transformative model of experiential teachingdesigned to cultivate motivation, prescncc, and authenticity.28 Her meth-ods were strongly based in l luddhist n-reditation techniques and theBuddhist law of dependent co-arising. She called this "deep ecologywork," challenging participants to take their insights into direct action.Working with John Seed, a Buddhist Australian rainforest activist, shedeveloped a r i tua l "Counci l o f Al l Beings" and other guided medi tat ionsto engage the at tent ion and imaginat ion on behal f o f a l l be ings.2eThousands of councils have now taken place in Australia, New Zealand,the United States, Germany, Russia, and other parts of the Western world.

Following in the footsteps of these visionary thinkers, a number ofBuddhist activists organized groups to address specific issues-nuclearguardianship, factory farming, and forest protection. Each init iative hashad its own history of start-up, strategizing, attracting interest, and, insome cases, fading enthusiasm.When these groups work with well-estab-lished environmental groups, they seem to be more successful in accom-plishing their goals. Some Buddhist environmental activists have beeneffective in helping shape the orientation of an existing environmentalgroup.The Institute for Deep Ecology, for example, which offers summertraining for activists, has had many Buddhists among its faculty, especial-ly on the'West Coast.

Though the history of Buddhist environmentalism is short, it has sub-stance: bright minds suggesting ncw ways to look at things, teachers andwriters inspiring others to address the challenges, and fledgling attemptsto practice ecospiritual activism based in Buddhist principles. As'Westerninterest in Buddhism grows, it affects wider social and polit ical circles. Asother Buddhist activists take up the task of defining the principles andpractices of socially engaged tsuddhism, environmental Buddhism canplay a vital role. As Buddhist teachers come to see the "ecosattva" possi-bil i t ies in the bodhisattva vows, they can encourage such practice-basedengagement. The seeds for all this are well planted; the next ten years ofenvironmental disasters and activist resDonses wil l indicate whether

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Buddhist environmental activism will take its place anorig other parallelinitiatives.

P H I L O S O P H I C A L G R O U N DDuring its rwo-thousand-year-ord history, Iruddhism has evolved across awide range of physical and curtural geographies. From the Theravada tradi-tions in tropical South and Southeast Asia, to the Mahayana Schools in tem-perate and climatically diverse china andJapan, to thevajrayana lineages inmountainous Tibet-tsuddhist teachings have been receivei, modified, andelaborated in many ecological contexts. Across this history the range ofBuddhist understandings about nature and human-nature relations has beenbased on different teachings, texts, ancl cultural views. These have not beenconsistent by any means; in flct, some views directry contradict each other.

Malcolm David Eckel, for example, conrrasts the Indian view with theJapanese view of nature.t0 Indian lluddhist literature shows relativery rittlerespect for wild nature, preferring tamed nature instead;Japanese Buddhismreveres the wild but ensages it symbolically through nighry developed artforms. Tellenbach and Kimura take this up in their investigation of theJapanese concept of nature, "what-is-so-o{:itself',; Ian Harris discusses thedifliculties"in comparing the meaning of the word "nature,,in different Asianlanguages.3l when Harris reviews traditional Buddhist texts, he does not findany consistent philosophical orientation toward environmental ethics. Healso challenges claims that Buddhist philosophies of nature led to any recog-nizable ecological awareness alnong early Buddhist societies, citinq some evr_dence to the contrary. Lambert Schmithausen poinrs out fhar aJcording toearly tsuddhist sources, most members of Buddhist societies, incruding manymonks, preferred tl.re comforts of village liG over the threats of th.l,"ird..iImages of lluddhist paradises are generalry quite tame, not at alr untrammeledwilderness. only forest ascetics chose the hermitage path with its immersionin wild nature.

Even with these distinctions, Buddhist texts do contain many referencesto the natural world, both as inspiration for teachings and as ,o,rr.. for eth-ical behavior. Forwesterners tasting the l)harma in the context of the envi_ronmental crisis, all the Buddhist traditions are potential sources for philo_sophical and behavioral guidelines toward nature. The newest cultural formof tsuddhis'r in the west will be different from what evolved in India,Thailand, china, and Japan. [n seeking wisdom to adc]ress the world as it isnow,w'esterners are eagerly, if sometimes clumsily, looking for whatever maybe helpful. From the earliest guidelines for forest -orrk, to the hermitagesongs of Milarepa, from the Jataka tales of compasslon to zen teachinss on

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mountains and rivers, the inheritance is rich and diverse." In this section, Ilay out the principal teachings identified by leading Buddhist environmentalthinkers in the late twentieth century as most relevant to addressing the cur-rent envi ronmcntal s i tuat ion.

Interdependence

In the canonical story of the Buddha's enlightenment, the culminating insightcomes in tl-re last hours of his long night of deep meditation. According tothe story, he first perceived his previous lives in a continuous cycle of birthand death, then saw the vast universe of birth and death for all beings,gain-ing understanding of the workings of karma. Finally he realized the drivingforce behind birth and death, and the path to release from it. Each piece ofthe lluddha's experience added to a progressive unfolding of a single truthabout existence-the law of mutual causality or dependent origination (inSanskrit pralityasamutpada, in Pali paticca samuppada). According to this law, allphenomena, that is, all of nature, arise from complex sets of causes and con-ditions, each set unique to the specific situations.Thus, the simple but pene-trating Pali verse:

This being, that becomes;fronr the arising of this, that arises;th is nor bc ing. that beconres nor ;f ronr thc ccrs inq of th is . thr t . . . . .s .14

Ecological understanding of natural systems fits very well within theBuddhist description of interdependence. This law has been the subject ofmuch attention in the Iluddhism and Ecology literature because of its over-lapping with ecological principles.rs Throughout all cultural forms ofBuddhism, nature is perceived as relational, each phenomenon dependent ona multitude of causes and conditions. From a Buddhist perspective thesecauses include not only physical and biological factors but also historical andcultural factors, that is, human thought forms and values.

The Hua-Yen School of Buddhism, developed in seventh-centuryChina, placed particular emphasis on this principle, using the jewel net ofIndra as a teaching n-retaphor.This cosmic net contains a multifaceted jewelat each of its nodes. "Because the jewels are clear, they reflect each other'simages, appearing in each other's reflections upon reflections, ad infinitum,all appearing at once in one jewel."'t6To extend the metaphor, if you rug onany one of the lines of the net-for example, through loss of species or habi-tat-it aflects all the other lines. Or, if any of the jewels become cloudy (toxicor polluted), they reflect the others less clearly. Likewise, if clouded jewels are

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cleared up (rivers cleaned, wetlands restored),life across the web is enhanced.Because the web of interdependence includes not only the actions of allbeings but also their thoughts, the intention of the actor becomes a criticalfactor in determining what happens.This, then, provides a principle of bothexplanation for the way things are, and a path for positive action.

Modern eco-Buddhists working with this principle have taken variouspaths. Using the term "interbeing,"Thich Nhat Hanh emphasizes nonduali-ry of view, encouraging students to "look at realiry as a whole rather than tocut it into separate entities."37 Gary Snyder takes up the interdependence ofeater and eaten, acknowledging the "simultaneous path of pain and beauryof this complexly interrelated world."r8 Feminist theologian Rita Grosslooks at the darker implications of cause and effect in the growing humanpopulation crisis.3e Aciivist Joanna Macy leads people through their envi-ronmental despair by steadily reinforcing ways to work together and buildmore functional and healing relationships with the natural world.o"

The law of interdependence suggests a poweful corollary, sometimcsnoted as "emptiness of separate self." If all phenomena are dependent oninteracting causes and conditions, nothing exists by itself, autononrous andself-supporting.This Iluddhist understanding (and experience) of self direct-ly contradicts the traditional 'Western sense of self as a discrete indivrdual.Alan Watts called this assumption of separateness the "skin-encapsulatedego"-the very delusion that Buddhist practices seek to cut through. Basedon the work of Gregory Bateson and other systems theorists, Macy describesa more ecological view of the self as part of a larger flow-through.a' She tiesthis to Arne Naesst deep ecology philosophy, derived from a felt shift ofidentification to a wider, more inclusive view of self. Buddhist rainforestactivist John Seed described his experience of no-self in an interview withInquiring Mind:"All of a sudden, the forest was inside me and was calling tome, and it was the most powerful thing I have ever felt."a2 Gary Snyder sug-gests this emptiness of self provides a link to "wild mind," or access to theenergetic forces that determine wilderness. These forces act outside ofhuman influence, setting the historical, ecological, and even cosmologicalcontext for all life. Thus "emptiness" is dynamic, shape-shifting, energy inmegisn-6'.wild" and beyond human imagination.ar

The Path of Liberation

The Buddhist image of theWheel of Life contains various realms of beings;at the center are three figures representing greed, hate, and delusion. Theychase each other around, generating endless suffering, perpetrating a falsesense of self or eeo. Liberation from attachment to this false self is the cen-

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rral goai in lluddhist practice. The first and second of the four noble truthsdescribe the very nature of existence as su{Iering, due to our instincts to pro-rect our own indiviclual lives and views.The third and fourth noble truths lay

our a path to liberation from this sutTering of self-attachment, the eight-foldpath of morality, awareness, and wisdonr.

lluddhist scholar Alan Sponberg argues that green Buddhism hasoveremphasized interdependence or the relational dimension almost to theexclusion of the developmental aspect of practice.aa By working to overcomeego-based attachments and socially conditioned desires, students cultivate thecapaciry lor insieht ancl compassion.This effort, he says, is crucial to displac-ing the hierarchy of oppression that undermines the vision of an ecological-ly healthy worlcl. Sponberg sugllests that a Buddhist environmenal ethic is a

virtue ethic, based fundamentally on development of consciousness and asense of responsrbiliry to act compassionately for the benefit of all forms oflife.This is the basis for the Mahayana archetype of the bodhisattva, commit-tecl to serving others until suffering is extinguished. Macy argues that thisresponsibiliry need not be sorne morally imposed self-righteous action (oftencharacteristic of environmentalists) but rather an action that "springs natural-ly from the grourrd of being."*'

The path of l iberation includes the practice of physical, emotional, andmental :lwareness. Such practice can increase one's appreciation for the natu-rai world; it can also reveal hidden cultural assumptions about privilege' com-fort, consumption, and the abuse of nature.'When one sees one''s self as partof a nrutually causal rveb, it becomes obvious that there is no such thing asan action without effect.Through the practice of green virtue ethics, studentsare encouragecl to be accountable for all of their actions, from eating food tousing a car to buying new clothes. Likewise, they can investigate the reigningeconomic paradigm and see how deeply it determines their choices.Throughfollor,vrng the fundamental precepts, envifonmentally oriented Buddhists canpractice moderation and restraint, simplif ing needs and desires to reduce suf-fering for others. For'Westerners this may mean withdrawal from consumeraddictions to products with large ecological impacts, such as cofFee, cotton,computers, and cars.

Practice in Action

Buddhist environmental teachers and writers point to three primary arenasof practice that can serve the environment: compassion, mindfulness' andnonharmins. In the Theravada tradition, one practices loving-kindness, wish-ing that all beings be free from harm and blessed by physical and mental well-being. In the Mahayana tradition one takes up the bodhisattva path, vowing

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to return again and again to relieve the suflering of all sentient beings-thehfe work of an environmentalist! Both practices are impossible challenges ifinterpreted literally; the environmental implications of these prayers or vowscan be overwhelming.Yet the strength of intention ofTers a substantial foun-dation for Buddhist environmental activism. Budding eco-tsuddhists strug-gle with the application of these spiritual vows in the very real contexts offactory farms, pesticide abuse, genetic engineering, and loss of endangeredspecies habitat.

Mindfulness practice, a natural support to Buddhist environmentalism,can take a range of forms.Thich Nhat Hanh teaches the basic principles ofthe Satipatthdna Sutta or the mindfulness text, practicing awareness of breath,body, feelings, and mind.Walking and sitt ing meditation generate a sense ofgrounded presence and alertness to where one actually is. Environmentaleducators stress mindfulness through nature appreciation exercises and rulesof respect toward the natural world. Environmental strategists use promo-tional campaigns to generate awareness of threatened species and places.These efTorts take mindfulness practice ofl the cushion and out into thewor ld where a larming s i tuat ions of great suf ler ing requi re st rong l t tcnt ion.

The practice of ahiwsa or non-harming derives naturally from a trueexperience of compassion.Ali the Buddhist precepts are based fundamentai-ly on non-harming or reducing the suffering of others. Practicing the firstprecept, not killing, raises ethical dilemmas around food, land use, pesticides,pollution, and cultural economic invasion.The second precept, not stealing,

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suggests considering the implications of global trade and corporate exploita-tion of resources. Not lying brings up issues in advertising and consumerism.Not eneaging in abusive relations covers a broad realm of cruelry and disre-spect for nonhuman others. As Gary Snyder says, "The whole planet groansunder the massive disregard of ahimsa by the highly organized societies andcorporate economies of the world."*" Thich Nhat Hanh interprets the pre-cept prohibiting drugs and alcohol to include the toxic addictions of televi-sion, video games, and junk magazines.+7 Practicing restraint and non-harm-ing is a way to make Buddhist philosophy manifest in the context of rapidlydeteriorating global ecosystems. Zen teacher Robert Aitken offers this vow:

\)fith resources scarcer and scarcer, I vow with all beings-To reduce my ljear in proportion even ro candles and carts.as

I ]UDDHIST ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIV ISMHow is green Buddhrsm being practiced? What is the evidence of greenIluddhism on the front lines? Macy suggests three types of activism thatcharacterize environmentalism today: r) holding-actions of resistance, z)analysis of social structures and creation of new alternatives, and 3) cultur-al transformation.ae Some of the best examples of Buddhist environmental-isnr come from outside the'west, but here I report only on local efforts inNorth America.

Holding-actions aim primarily to stop or reduce destructive acrivirybuyine time for more efTective long-term srrategies. The small group ofecosattvas protesting the logging of old growth redwood groves is part ofthe holding-actions in northern California. They draw on local supportfrom lluddhist deep ecologist Bil l Devall and his eco-sangha in HumboldtCounty as well as support from the Green Gulch Zen community and theBuddhist Peace Fellowship. For the big 1997 demonstration, the ecosattvasinvited others to join them in creating a large prayer flag covered withhuman handprints of mud. This then served as visual testimony of solidar-ity for all those participating in Headwaters actions. Six months after theprotest, several ecosattvas made a special pilgrimage deep into the heart ofthe Headwaters, carrying a Tibetan treasure vase. Activists used the vase tobring attention to the threatened trees at various BayArea sangha meetings.People rvere invited to offer their gifts and prayers on behalf of the red-woods. On a rainy winter's day, the vase was ceremonially buried beneathone of the giants to strengthen spiritual protection for the trees.50

l\esistance actions by Buddhists concerned for Animals were init iatedby Brad Miller and vanya Palmers, two zen students in the San Francisco

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area. Moved by the suffering of animals in cages, on factory farms, ancr inexport houses, they joined the animal rights movement, ed,.rcatrng otherBuddhists about the plight of monkeys, beef cattre, and endangerecr parrots.vanya has continued this work in Europe, where he now lirr.i fo..rrirrg o,-,the cruelty in large-scale hog farming.5l

when the federal government proposed buriar of nucrear waste deepunderYucca Mountain, a group of Buddhists and others gathered togetherunderJoanna Macy'.s leadership and met as a study gro,rp fo. several years.They took the position that nuclear waste was ,"f..

"borr. ground whereit could be monitored, and they developed an alternate visr*on of nucrearguardianship based in Buddhist spiritual pracrices.52 At about the sametime,Japan arranged for severar shiprnents of plutonium to be reprocessedin France and then shipped back to Japan. Zen student and artist Mayumioda helped to organize plutonium-Free Future and the Rainbow serpentsto stop these shipments of deadly nuclear materiar. one ship was tem-porarily stopped, and although shipments resumed, the actions raised.Y.:".:t in Japan and the Unrted States, affecting Japanese governmentpol rc les." -

. t lr second type of activism, undertaking structural anarysis and crear-ing alternative green visions, has also engaged twentietrr-cenruryBuddhists. Small "b" Buddhist Rick Klugston directs the washington,D.c.-based center for I lespect of Life and ihe Environment, an affi l iate ofthe Humane Society of the United States. He and his stafl work on sus-tainability criteria for humane farming, basing their work in religious prin-ciples of nonharming. In ry97 the Soka Gakkai_affiliated groip, IlostonResearch center for the 2rst century, held a series of workihops address-ing the people's earth charter, an internationally negotiated l isi of ethicalguidelines for human-earth relations. The center published a booklet ofBuddhist views on the charter,'s principres for us in discussions reading upto United Nations adoption.sa A subgroup of the Internationar Networkof Engaged Buddhists and the Buddhisi peace Fellowship, called the"Think Sangha," is engaged in structural analysis of grobal ir,r.,-.r,r-.collaborating between the United States and South-east Asia, they haveheld confbrences in Thailand on alternatives to consumerism, pressinu formoderation and lifestyle simplif ication.ts o'e of the boldest visions is theDalai Lamat proposal that the entire province ofTibet be declared an eco-logical reserve. Sadly, this vision, put forth in his Nobel peace prize acceot_ance speech, is nowhere close to actualization-s6

Scholars have offered structurar analyses using Buddhist principles toshed light on environmental problems. Rita Gross, Buddhist feminrst schol_

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ar, has laid out a l luddhist fratnework for consiclering global populationissues.sT I have compared eco-feminist principles of activism with Iluddhistphilosophy, showing a stronla compatibil i ty between the two.'o ThroughI luddhist -Chr is t ian d ia logue, process theologian and medi tator JayMcl)aniel has developed spiritual arguments for con.rpassionate treatmentof animals :rs a serious hunran responsibil i ty.s" Sociologist Bil l l)evall inte-grated Buddhist principles into his elaboration of Arne Naess's I)eepEcology philosophy urgine simplif ication of needs and wants."' ' JoannaMacy likewise draws on Buddhist philosophy and practices to analyze theparalyzine states of gnef, despair, and fear that prevent people from actingon behalf of the environnrent.

As for the third type of activism, transforming cr.rlture, these projects arevery much in progress and sonretinles rnet with resistance. TWo Buddhistcenters in rural northern California, Green Gulch Zen Center and Sprritl { ock . r l r cady dcmons t ra te a se r i o r r s co rnn r i t r nen t t o t he cnv i ronmcn tthrough vegetarian dining, land and water stewardship efTorts, an organicfarm and garclen at Green Gulch, and ceremonies that include the naturalworld."' On Earth Day r99o, the abbot led a tree-ordaining precepts cere-mony and an animal memorial service. Other environmental rituals includespecial dedic:rtions at t l-re solsticcs ancl equinoxes, a Buddha's birthday cel-ebration of local wildflowers, Thanksgiving altars from the farm harvest,and participation in the United Nations Environmental Sabbath in June.The ccosattvas meet regularly to plan restoration projects that are now partof daily work practice. When people visit Green Gulch, they can see eco-logrcal action as part of a Iluddhist way of l i fe. Similar init iatives have beenundertaken at Spirit l \ock Meditation Center, also in the San Franciscol3ay area.

In the Sierra foothil ls, Gary Snyder has been a leader in establishing theYuba l\ iver Institute, a bioregional watershed organization working incooperation with the lJureau of Land Managen'rent. They have donegrouncl sllrvey work, controlled burns, and creek restoration projects,engagingthe local community in the process."To restore the land one mustlive;rnd work in a place.To work in a place is to work with others. Peoplewho work together in a place become a conrmunity, and a community. intime, grows a cultrlre.""' Snyder models the level of commitment necessaryto reinhabit a place and build cornrnunity that might eventually span gen-erations. Zen Mountain Center in Southern California is beginning simi-lar work, c:rrryine out resource management practices such as thinning forfire breaks, restoring degraded forest, and limiting human access to somepreserve areas."' ' Applying Buddhist principles in an urban setting, Zen

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teacher Bernard Glassnra' has deveiopecl environmentaliy oriented smallbusinesses that employ local street peopre, sending products to sociailyresponsible companies such as Ben and Jerryt.6a

As the educational element of curtural transformation, several Buddhistcenters have developed lecture series, classes, and retreats basecl on envi-ronmental themes. Zen Mountain Monastery in the catskil ls of Newyorkoffers "Mountains and l{ivers" retreats basecl on the center,.s commltmentto environmental conservation. These feature backpacking, canoeing,nature photography, and haiku as €rateways to Buddhist insrghr. I{ing ofBone Zendo at Krtkrtdizze, Gary Snyder'.s community, has ofTered back-packing scss/rirus in the Sierra Mou'tains since its inception. Green GulchZen center co-hosts a "voice of the'watershed" series ...h y... with Muirwoods National Monument, including talks and walks acros.s the lanciscaoeof the two valleys. At ManzanitaVil lage in sourhern california, caitrio;aReed and Michele Renzamin-Masuda incrude deep ecorogy pracrrces, gar-dening, and nature observation as part of their it i .t NI.,at Hanh-stvlemindfulness retreats.

Most of these examples represent social change agents working with-in Buddhist or non-Buddhist institutions to promote environ'rental inter_ests. I lut what about isolated practit ioners, struggling to consider the impli-cations of their l i festyles in consumerAnrerica and other parts of thewest?Independent of established groups, a number of I luddhists are taking smallsteps of activism as they try to align their actions with their Buddhist prac-tice' one growing area of interest is ethical choices in food consumptlon,prompted both by health and environnrental concerns. Many people,Buddhists included, are turning to vegetarianism and veganism 2ls morecomprss iona te cho i ces fo r an ima ls and ccosys tems . o the rs a rc commr t t rngto eat only oruanically €rrown food, in order to support pesticide-free soiland healthy farmins. Thich Nhat Hanh has strong\ .,r.or..g.d his stu-dents to examine their consumption habits, not only

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alcohol, but also television, music, books, and magazines. His radical stanceis echoed by Sulak Sivaraksa in Thailancl, who insists the western standardof consun'rption is untenable if extended throughout the worrd. SomeBuddhrsts have participated in "International BuyNothing" r)ay, targeredfor the busiest shopping day right after Thanksgiving. othe^ have loinedsupport groups for reducing credit card debt, giving up car depenclence,and creating work cooperatives. Because Bucldhism is sti l l so new in theWestern world, the extent of tsuddhist l i festyle activism is very hard togauge. Ilut for many students, environmental awarL.ness and Dersonalchange flow naturally frorn a Buddhrst practice commitment.

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E L E M E N T S O F G R E E N B U D D H I S T A C T I V I S MWhat makes Buddhist environmentalism different from other environmentalactivism or from other eco-religious activism? The answer in both cases lies inthe distinctive orientation of Buddhist philosophy and practice. tsuddhistenvironmentalists turn to principles of nonharming, compassion, and interde-pendence as core ethics in choosing activism strategies.They aim to serve allbeings through equanimiry and loving-kindness.Though activists may not ful-fill the highest ideals of their Buddhist training, they at least struggle to placetheir actions in a spiritual context. This reflects an underlying premise thatgood environmental work should also be good spiritual work, restoring bothplace ancl person to wholeness.

To be sure, there are significant challenges. Engaged Buddhist scholarKenneth Kraft outlines four dilemmas a generic American Buddhist environ-mentalist ("Gabe") nright encounter.65 First, he or she would likely encountersome gaps between the traditional teachings and current political realities.Most of the lluddhat advice to students deals with individual moraliry andaction; but today's environmental problems require collective action and a con-scious sense of group responsibiliry. It is not so easy to find guidelines for glob-al structural change within these ancient teachings. Second, Gabe must makesome tough decisions about how to use his or her time. Meditate or organizea protest? when political decisions are moving at a rapid rate, activisrs musrrespond very quickly for effective holding action.yet cultivating equanimirypatience, and loving-kindness requires regular hours ofpractice on the cush-ion. The yearning for time dedicated to Buddhist retreats can compete withtime needed for soul-renewing wilderness. Third, Gabe may question theeffectiveness of idendfiTing his or her efforts as specifically Buddhist. It may beeasier just to "blend in" with others working on the same issue. Fourth, Gabemay also begin to wonder about the effectiveness of some forms of practiceforms in combatting environmental destruction. How can meditation or cer-emony stop clear-cut logging? can spiritually oriented activists make a dif-ference in the high pressure political world? Given these and other challenges,green Buddhists nonetheless try to carry out their work in a manner consls-tent with Buddhist practice and philosophy.

characteristic ideals for green Buddhism can be described in terms of theThree Jewels: the Buddha, I)harma, and Sangha. The Buddha exemplified away of life based on spiritual practice, including meditation, study, questron-ing and debate, cerenlony and ritual. Each Buddhist lineage has its own high-ly evolved traditional practice forms that encourage the student to "act likeIluddha."At the heart of the Buddha's path is reflective inquiry into the natureof reality.Applying this practice in todayt environmental context, eco-activists

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undertake rigorous examination of conditioned beliefs and thought patternsregarding the natural world.This may include deconstructing the objectifica-tion of plants and animals, the stereotyping of environmentalists, dualisticthinking of enemy-ism, the impacts of materialism, and environmentalnclsm.

In addition, the green Buddhist would keep his or her activist workgrounded in regular engagement with practice forms-for example, sayingthe precepts with other activists, as Thich Nhat Hanh has encouraged, orreciting sutras that inspire courage and loving-kindness (that is, the MettdSutta for example, or the Zen chant to Kanzeon). Ring of Bone Zen stu-dents chant l)ogen's "Mountains and Rivers" treatise on their backpackingretreats. Mindfulness practice with the breath can help sustain an activistunder pressure, during direct political action or in the workplace. GreenBuddhist ceremonies are evolving, often as variations on standard rituals-for example, the Earth Day precepts at Green Gulch, and the earth relief cer-emony at Rochester Zen Center.oo If the Buddha's path is foundational toBuddhist environmental activism, it means each engaged person undertakessome form of spiritual journey toward insight and awakening.Activism is thecontext in which this happens, but the Buddha'.s way serves as the model.

Of the Buddha's teachings, or Dharma, several core principles contributeto a green Buddhist approach. First, it is based on a relational understandingof interdependence and no-self. This may mean, for example, assessing therelationships of the players in an environmental conflict from a context ofhistorical and geographical causes and conditions. It may also meanacknowledging the distribution of power across the human political rela-tionships, as well as learning about the ecological relationships that are undersiege. Second, green Buddhist activism could reflect the teachings of ahim-sa, nonharming, with compassion for the suffering of others. For theBuddhist environmentalist this may extend to oppression based on race,class, or gender discrimination as well as to environmental oppression ofplants, animals, rivers, rocks, and mountains.This recognition of suffering inthe non-human world is rarely acknowledged by the capitalist economy.Voicing it as a religious point of view may open some doors to morehumane policies. This green Buddhist teaching is congruent with manyschools of ecophilosophy that respect the intrinsic value and capacity forexperience of each being.

A third lluddhist teaching applicable to activism is the nondualistit viewof reality. Most political battles play out as confrontations between swornenemies: loggers vs. spotted owl defenders, housewives vs. toxic polluters,birdlovers vs. pesticide producers. From a Buddhist perspective, this kind of

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hatrecl clestroys spiritual equanimity; thus, it is n"ruch better to work from an

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struggling, cliscouraged, battle-rveary environmentalists who, in

fact, are being attacked by government officials, shenffs, or the media. A

Budclhist cornmitment to nondualism can help to stabilize a volatile situationand establish nerv qrounds for negotiation.

A fourth Budclhist teaching reinforces the role of intention.Iluddhist texts

emphasize a strong relationship between intention' action, and karmic effects

of an action. If a campaign is unclertaken out of spite, revenge' or rage, that

emotional tone wil l carry forth into all the ripening of the fruits of that

action (and likely cause a sinri lar reaction in response). However' if en action

is grounded in understanding that the other party is also part of Indra'.s jewel

net, then things unfold with a l itt le less shoving and pushing'Perhaps the rrost significant teaching of the l)harma relevant to lluddhist

acrivism is the practice of detachment from the ego-generating self. Thus, a

green Budclhist approach is not rnotivated primarily by the need for ego

id"rlt i ty or satisfaction. Strong intention with less orientation to the self

relieves the activist frorn focusing so strongly on results.6T One does what is

necessary in the situation, not bound by the need for it to reinforce one'sideas or to turrl out a certain way. By leaning into the creative energles mov-ing through the wider web br-rt holclng to a stronli intention, surprising col-laborative actions take place. Sn-rall 'b' Buddhists have been able to act as

bridge-builders in hostile or reactive situations by toning down the need for

personal recognition.Sangha, the third of the Three Jewels, is often the least recognized or

. rpprcc iated by Amer ic . rn lJuddhists . As ncwcomcrs to the pract ice in a

,p..dy, product-clriven sociery most students are clrawn to the calming effectsof rneditation practice ancl the personal depth of student-teacher relation-

ships. Practicing with conrmunity can be diff icult for students l iving awayfrom Buddhist centers. Bui ld ing conrntur l i ty among envi ronmentalBudclhists is even harder, since they are even more isolated geographicallyfrorn each other ancl sometimes marginalized even by their own peers in

Bucldhist centers. Front a green l3uddhist perspective, sangha work presentsnot only the challenges of personal and institutional relations, but also eco-logical relations. Some of the leading sreen Ruddhist thinkers have suggest-ed ways to lltove toward this work in an integrated way'

Gary Snycler brings his sangha work home through the framework ofbioregional thinking ancl organizins. His foundation for this is more thanecological; it is aesthetic, economic, and practice-based. He suggests that "by

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berng in place, we get the largest sense of community."The bioregional com-muniry "does not end at the human boundaries; we are in a community lvithcertain trees, plants, birds, animals. The conversation is .,vith the wholething."68 He models and encourages others to take up the practice of rcitt-habitation, learning to l ive on the land with the same respect and under-standing as the original indisenous people. He expects this will take a num-ber of generations, so the wisdom gathered now must be passed along to theyoung ones. Sprritual cornmunity on the land offers one place to do this.

Others can participate in eco-sangha through supporting and lobbyingfor ecological practices at their local Budclhist centers.The hundreds of peo-ple who come to Green Gulch Zen Center or Spirit Rock MeditationCenter, for example, follow the centers' customs regarding water conserva-tion, recycling, vegetarianisn"r, and land protection.'With each step towardgreater ecological sustainabiliry local communiry culture takes on a grccnercast.These actions need not be only a painful commitment to restraint, ratherthey can become a celebration of environmental awareness. Printed materi-als such as the booklet on environmental practices at Green Gulch can helpto educate visitors about institutional comntlrmenrs.

Joanna Macy recommends sangha-building as central to deep ecologywork.Through trust-buildins exercises, brainstorming, and contract-making,Macy helps people find ways to support each other in their activist efTorts.Learning networks of lluddhists and non-lluddhists often stay together afterher workshops fbr mutual support and prevention of activist burnout. Macyhelps people taste the power of kalyana mitta, or spiritual friendship-acrlngtogether in the web to help others practice the l)harma and take care ofthis world.

C O N C ] L U S I O NHow might Buddhist environmentalisr.n affect the larger environmentalmovement and how might it ir-rfluence Western Buddhism in general? WillBuddhist environmentalism turn out to be more environmental thanBuddhist?t'e The answers ro these questions must be largely specuiative at thistime, since green Buddhism is just f inding its voice. It is possible that thisfledgling voice will be drowned in the brownlash against environmentalists,or in the'western resistance to engaged Buddhism. Environmental disastersof survival proportions may overwhelm anyone'.s capacity to act eflectively.The synereistic combination of millennialism and economic collapse mayflatten green Buddhisnt as well as many other constructive social forces.

But if one takes a more hopeful view, it seems possible to imagine thatgreen Buddhism will grow and take hold in the minds and hearts of youna

1 7 7

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people who are creating the future. Perhaps some day there will be ecosatt-va chapters across the world a{filiated with various practice centcrs. PerhapsIluddhist eco-activists will be sought out for their spiritual stability and com-passion in the face of extremely destructive forces. Buddhist centers mightbecome models of ecological sustainabiliry showing other religious institu-tions 'uvays to encourage ecological culture. More Buddhist teachers maybecome informed about environmental issues and raise these concerns lntheir teachings, calling for moderation and restraint. Perhaps the next centu-ry will see Buddhist practice centers forming around specific ecological com-mitments.

Making an educated guess from the perspective of the late r99os, I pre-dict that the influence of green lJuddhism may be small in numbers, but greatin impact. Gary Snyder, for example, is now widely read by college studentsin both literature and environmental studies classes. Joanna Macy has ledworkshops for stafT at the'White House and the Hanford nuclear reactor inWashington State. Thich Nhat Hanh has shared his commentaries on theinterbeing of paper, clouds, trees, and farmers with thousands of listeners onlecture tours throughout the-West. Some practicing Buddhists already holdinfluential positions in major environmental groups such as the NaturalResources Defense Council, Rainforest Action Network, and Greenpeace.Perhaps in the near future they will also hold cabinet positions orCongressional committee chairs or serve as stafffor environmental think tanks.

Buddhist centers and thinkers will not drive the religious conversation intl.re West for quite some time, if ever. The Judeo-Christian heritage of theWest is still a prominent force in'Western thinking, laws, and religious cus-rorns. However, Buddhists are already significant participants in interfaith dia-logue regarding the environment. This could have an increasing impact onpublic conversations by raising ethical questions in a serious way. Right now,decisions that afltct the health and well-being of the environment are oftenmade behind closed doors.To challenge these in a public way from a religiousperspective could shed some much needed light on ecologically unethicalways of doing business.

What happens next lies in the hands of those who are nurturing thisr.vave of enthusiasm for green tsuddhism and those who will follow. It maybe religious leaders, writers, teachers, or elders; it may be the younger gener-ations, full of energy and passion for protecting the home they love. Becausethe rate of destruction is so great noq with major life systems threatened, anyand all green activism is sorely needed. Buddhists have much to offer theassaulted world. It is my hope that many more step forward boldly into themelee of environmental conflict. Side by side with other bodhisattvas, may

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theyjoin the global effort to stop the cruelry and help create a nlore respecr-ful and compassionate future for all beings.

N o r r s1.For information on ecosattva activiry see "lJniversal Chainsaw ljnivcrsal

Forest," Tilrning l4/heel (witter 1 998) : 31-33.2. See, for example, such recent volu'nes as Steven c. Rockefeller and John c.

Elder, Spirlt and Nature: IMy the Enuironment Is a Religious rssrre (Boston:Beacon Press, 1992); Mary Evelyn Tucker and John A. Grim, eds., Ll/orlilvietusand Erclogy (Lewisburg, PA: Bucknell University press, 1993); Fritz Hull, eci.,Earth and spirit:The spiritual Dimensions of tlte Enuironmentdl crisis (Ner.vyork:continuum, 1993); David Kinsley, Eology and Religion:Ecologicar spirituality inCross-cultural Perspective (Englewood clitTs, NJ: prentice Hal1, -l995); l)ieter T.Hessel, ed., Theology for Earth Community:A Field Cuide (Maryknoll, Ny: OrbisBooks, 1996); Roger Gott l ieb, ed., This Sacred Earth: Religion, Nature, antlEnuironment (NewYork: Routledge, 1996).

3. Parvel Gmuzdek, "Kalayananritra's Action on the yadana piperine," Seeds ofPe at e 1. 3.3 (S epternber-Decernber 1 997 ) : 23,26.

'{.Joanna Macy, "The Third Tirrning of the wheel," Inquiring Mincr 5.2 (rvinter1 9 8 9 ) : 1 0 - 1 2 .

5 . Ib id . , p . 1 1 .6. wendy Johnson and Stephanie Kaza, "Earth Day at Green Gulch ," Journar o-f thc

Buddhist Peace Felloutshrp (sunrmer 1990): 30-33.7. See reports on their act ivi t ies in Bay Area Friends ofTibet newsietters.8. Stephanie Kaza and Kenneth Kraft, eds., Dharma Rain: sources oJ Budtlhist

Environmental isru (Boston: Shambhala Pubiications, . l 999).9. Sulak Sivaraksa, "Buddhisr' with a Small 'b,"' seeds of peare (Berkerev. cA:

Paral lax Press, 1992), p. 69.10. Peter Timmerman, "I t Is Dark outside: 'western

Buddhism frorn theEnlightenment to the Giobal crisis," in Martine Batchelor and Kerry llrown,eds., Buddhism and Etology (London: Cassel l , 1992),pp.65_76.

11.See Rick Fields, How the su'ans came to the Lake: A Narratiue Histttr.y o.fBuddhism in America (Boston: Shambhala Publications, 1986), for a thoroughhistory of these and earlier forays to the East by'Westerners.

12-Gary Snyder,,4 Plarcin Spare (washington,D.c.:counrerpoinrpress, 1995),p.41.13. Gary Snyder, The Practice of the wild (San Francisco: North point press, 1990).14."The Nobel Peace Prize Lecture," in Sidney Piburn, ed.,The Dalai Lamd: A

Poli ty oJ Kindness ( l thaca, NewYork: Snow Lion publications, 1990), pp. 15 27.

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E N G A G I N G T H E I S S U E S

15.Thich Nhat Hanh, Loue in '4rt iorr ( l3erkele-v, CA: Paral lax Press, 1993).16. Issues on the theme of environmental act ivisn were published in -spring 1990,

spr rng 199.1 , and spr ing 1997.17.A1an Hunt-Badinet, ed., Dharma Caia ( l3erkeley, CA: Parai lax Press, 1990);J.

Baild Clallicott ancl Roger T. Ames, eds., Nalurc irt Asian Tiaditions of Thought(Albany: State (Jniversir; ,* of Ner'vYork Press, 1989).

l l l .The other four books in the series address Christ ianiry' , Hinduism, Islam,

Judaisni, and Ecolog;rr19 . See T i ' i t yc lc '1 .2 ( r ' v in te r 7994) :2 ,49 63 .20. For ( iar1' Snyder intervie"vs,see"Not Her"eYet"2.4 (March 1994):19-25;"The

Minci of Gary Snyder" '1.5 (May 1'996): 19-26; for Nanao Sakaki, see"sornervhere on the Water Planet" 4.2 (Novenrber 1995): 45-17 -

21. For a detai led studv of two Buddhist centers see Stephanie Kaza, "American

Buddhist Response to t1-re Land: Ecological Practice atTwoWest Coast Retreat( lerrters," in Marv Evelvn Tucker and I)uncan RyukenWil l iarns, eds., Buddhismand Ecology: Tht Intercttnntctedness o-f Dlnrma and Deeds (Canrbridge: HarvardUniversirr ' ' Press, 1997), pp. 219-18.

22. See conference talks in Rockefel ler and Elder, eds., Spir i t and Nature23. Maly Evelyn Tucker, "The Emerging Al l iance of Ecology and Religion,"

I l /or lduieuts: EnuirLtrtment, Culture, and Rtl i ,qion 1.1 (1997): 3-21.24.Tucker^ andWil l iarns, eds., Buddhism and Ecology.25. See one of the lead papers f i 'orn the nreeting: Stephanie Kaza,"Overcorning the

(irrp of Consurrerisn," forthcorning in Jownal qf Buddhist-Christ idn Studies.26. See, for exanrple, such r 'vorks asThich Nhat Hanh,"The Individual, Society, and

Nature," in Fred Eppsteiner, ed., Tfu Path o.f C)ompassion (l3er:keley, CA: ParalhxPress, 19tl t i ) , pp. 40-.16; I)alai Lanra, "The Ethical Approach to EnvironmentalProtection," in Piburn, ed., ' [ 'he Dalai Lama:A Poli ty of Kindness ( l thaca, NY:Snow L ion Pub l ica t ions ,1990) , pp .118-28; Su lak S ivaraksa, Seeds o f Peate(Berkele1., CA: Prral lax Press, 1992); Christopher Titr.nuss, "A Passion for theDharrna," Titrnin.q l,Ihcel (fall 1991): 19-20; John Daido Loori, "River SeeingRiver," tn Mountditt Rccord 11.3 (spring 1996): 2-10; lnd Philip Kapieau, ToChcrish All Lifc: A Buddhist Case -for l\ccoming V'egatarian (San Francisco: Harperand Rorv, 19ti2).

27.Joanna Macv, Mutudl Causali ty in Buddhism and ()encral S1,s/erus Thcory:TheDharmd oJ-Natural Sy-i tons (Albanl ' : State (Jniversit l ' of NewYork Press, 1991).

28.Joarrna Mac1,, Ds-Vrlr and Personal Pou,er in the NuclearAge (Philadelphia: NewSociety l ' ]ubl ishers, I 983).

29.John Seed, Joanna Macl ' , Pat Flenring, and Arne Naess, TTrinleing Like aMountain:\7tu,ards a Ottundl o.f AII Beings (Philadelphia: New Society Publishers,1 9 8 8 ) .

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T O S A Y E A L L B E I N G S

30. Mrlcolr. L)avid Ecker, "Is There a Ruddhist phi iosophy of Nature?,, in TuckerandWillianrs, eds., Buddhisnt antl Ecology, pp.327_50.

31.lan Harris, "Buddhisrn and the Discourse of Environrnental concern: SonreMethodological problenrs consiclered," in Tucker and'williams , eds., Ruddhisntand Ecolo,y, pp. 377-402;:r 'd Hubertus Tel lenbach an<i Bin Ki ' .rra. . ,TheJapanese concept of 'Nature,"' in Nature irt Asian Ti,aditions tyf rhought, ed,. J.Baird callicort and Roger T. Anres (Arbany: Srate (Jniversity of New yorkPrers . 198, ) ) .

32. Lambert Schr' idthausen, "The Earlv Buddhist Tradit ion and EcologJicalEthtcs," Journal of Ruddhist Ethics 4 (1997): 1_42.

33. Represerrted i ' Stephanie Kaza ancl Kenneth Kraft, eds., Dharma Rain.34. Samyutta Nikaya II .28,65; Majjhima Nikaya 1I.32.35. See, for exa'rple, Francir H. cook, "TheJewer Net of Indra,,, in calr icott and

Arrres, eds.' Natura in Asian Tiaditions oJ'Thought, pp. 213-30; Bin L)evail,"Ecocentr ic Sangha," in Hunt-Radiner, ec1., Drtarma caia,pp.155-64; Paul o.Ingrarrr,"NaruretJerveled Net: Kukai 's Ecological Buddhisrn," Tlrc pacif icworld6 (1990):50-64;Joanna Macl ' , Mutuar c)attsari ty in Butr irhism;and Gary Snyder,A Plarc in Space.

36 Tir Shtrn, in Thonras Cleary, Entry irtto tlre Inconceiyable:An Introdndiott to Hua-Wn Buddhism (Honoluiu: l- Iniversity of Hawaii press, 19g3) p. 66.

37'Thich Nhat Hanh, "The Indivit lual, Societ l ' . :rnd Nrrure," i ,- , Eppsterner, ed.,The Path o-f Compassion, p. 40.

38. Snyder, A Place in Sparc, p.70.39. Rita Gross, "Bucldrr ist Resources for Issues of popr_rrat ion, consu'rptron, and

the Environnrent," in Tircker a'd 'wiiliams, eds., Buddhism anir Ecotogy, pp.291-312.

40'Joanna M:rcy and Mollyyoung Brown, Coming Back t. Life: practices to Reconnedour Liucs, our worrd (Gabrioia Island, lrritish colurnbia: New SocietyPublishers, 199t1).

41. Macy, Mutual Causality in Budtlhistr.42' Interview with John Seed, "The Rain Foresr as Teacher,, ' Inquir ing Minri g.2

(spring 1992): 1.43' Gary Snyder, "The Etiquette of Freedo''t," in The practice tyf the wird, p. 1().4'1'Alan Sponberg, "Green l luddhisr ' and the Hierarchy of cor 'passion,,, in

Tucker and'Willianrs , eds., Butldhism arrd Ecology, pp. 351_76.45.Joanna Macy, "Third Turning of thewheer ," Inquir ir tg Mind 5.2 (winter 19g9):10-12.46. Snyder, A Plarc in Spate,p.73.47. See his discussion of the f i f th precepr i 'Thich Nhat Hanh, For a Future to Be

Po-rsi6/c (llerkeley, CA: parallax press. 1993).

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48. Robert Aitken, The Dragon rrl4to Never s/eep-r (I]erkeley, cA: parailax press,1 e 9 2 ) , p . 6 2 .

.19. Macy ancl Brown, Coming Back to Life.50.wenclyJohnson, "A Prayer for the Foresr," Ti icyde s.1 (fal l 199tt): g,r-g5.51.varrya Palnrers,"what can I Do," Tirrnirtgl. tLhcer (wtnter 1993):15-17.52.Joanna Macy, "Guarding the Earth," Inquir ing Mind 7 .2 (spring 1991): r,4_5,12.53. Kenneth Kraft, "Nuclear Ecology and Engaged Bucldhism,,' in Tucker and

Williarns, eds., Buddhisrn and Ecology, pp. 269*90.5'1.Anry Morgante, ed., Buddhist perspedives on the Eartlt charter (cambridge, MA:

Buclclhrst Research cenrer for the 21st century, Novenrber 1997).55' See 1998-1999 issues of Seetls of Peace for reports and announcements of these

events.56.tnzin ( iyatso, "The Nobel peace prize Lecture," in piburn, ed,., .r- l te Dalai

Ldrna: A Policy o.f Kindl'err, pp. 15-27.57. Gross, "Buddhist Resources for Issues of populat ion, consurnption, and the

Errvironr'ent," i' Tucker andwilliar's, eds., Burltrhism and Erology,pp.2gr_312.58. Stephanie Kaza, "Acting with conrpassion: Buddhism, Fenrinisrn, and the

Environmentai crisis," in carol Aclarns, ed., Eto;feminism antl r/re sarrerl (NewYork: Continuunr, 1993).

59.Jav B. McDaniel, Earth, sky, cods, anrl Mortars: Deueloping an EcoropiurSpir i tual i ty (Mystic, CT:Twenty_Third publ icat ions, 1990).

60. Bill Devall, simple in Means, Ridr in Ends: pratticing Deep Ecorogy (Salt Lake city:Peregrine Snii th I looks, 1 988).

6l.Stephanie Kaza, "American Buddhist Response to the Land: EcologicalPractice at Two west coast Retreat centers," in Tucker and williarns. eds..Buddhism dntl Ecolo.gy, pp. 219-48.

62. Srryder, A Place in Space, p.250. See also Davicl Barnhi l l , , ,Great Earth Sangha:Gary Snyder's view of Narure as cor'rnuniry" in Tucker and wiliams.Buddhism and Erology, pp. 187-217 .

63.JelrYa' iauchr, "The Greening of Zen Mountain cenrer: A case studv." inTucker and Willianrs , eds., Buddhism and Ecolo-qy, pp.249_65.

6'1. Interviewed by Alan Senauke and Sue Moon, "Monastery in the srreers:A Talkwith Tetsugen (]lassrnan," Turning Wheel (fa,ll I99 6) : 22_25.

65. Ke'neth Kraft, "Nuclear Ecology and Engaged Buddhisnr,,' in Tircker and'Willianrs, eds., Buddhism and Ecology,pp. 2g0*g3.

66.A selection of such evolvi 'g practice forms are presented in the forthcominsarrtholog by Kaza and Kraft, Dharma Rain.

67. See christopher Titrnuss, "A passion for the Dharnra," Ti,rrning wheel (fall1991): 19-20; also chogyanr Trungpa, shanfuhara:The sacretl path of the warrior(Boston: Shambhala Publications. 198tj).

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68. David Barnhill, "Great Earth Sangha: Gary Snyder's View of Nature asCornnruniry" in Tucker and Williams , Buddhism and Ecology, p. 192.

69.As Ian Harris suggests in "Buddhism and the Discourse of EnvironnrentalConcern: Some Methodological Problerns Considered," in Tucker andWilliarns, eds., Buddhi sm an d Ecology, pp. 37 7 -102.

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