This is an extract of a speech which Tengboche Rinpoche, the Abott of Tengboche Monastery and Chairman of Sacred Land Initiatives gave at his WWF Award Ceremony in the year 2000:

In my own monastery, Tengboche, in the Khumbu region of Nepal, we have been striving to promote environmental conservation, reduce pollution and waste, and raise awareness of the relationship between spirituality and nature in the face of increased tourism, rapid development and pressure on the environment. The Tengboche Sacred Land Eco-Centre, which has been inaugurated by Kyabje Trulshik Rinpoche, provides us the momentum and the means for consolidating, sustaining and expanding our past efforts.

Buddhist practitioners and modern conservationalists have more in common than one might assume. In the Himalayas and other regions, traditional cultures and belief systems have been fruitful in protecting the resources of local environments, even prior to the designation of protected areas by conservationists. Their rationale for conservation may not be identical but the goal is often the same. For example, conservationists caution against the cutting of trees since it is often results in landslides, floods and recently, as I am told, global warming and bursting og glacial lakes. Buddhist caution against the same activity saying that it upsets the deities and spirits who then bring upon us negative consequences. To give another example: monks prohibit the hunting of the snow leopard since it is against Buddhist precepts to take life of other beings whereas the park warden might argue that it is an indicator species promoting the ecological balance of the high mountains. Both Buddhists and the conservationist are trying to say the same thing: do not cut trees; do not hunt the snow leopard!

Great potential exists in the dialogue between Buddhist communities and modern conservationists, both inpartnership in environmental conservation and ethical living. The world we live today is not the same as yesterday’s: we know have a bigger population, new and increased needs and, therefore, more effort is necessary to promote the well being of the environment which ultimately ensures our own. Within the immediate environs of Tengboche Monastery, I have been planting trees, cultivating medicinal plants, raising awareness to reduce pollution and waste, and promoting environmental conservation. Please try to do the same in your own home, wherever that may be.

The whole speech is presented under the Company’s Projects Environment