Reforestation

Tengboche Rinpoche planting trees with the community and tending them.

The Abbot of Tengboche Monastery, Ngawang Tenzin Jangpo, or Tengboche Rinpoche, has been actively involved in conservation for over 30 years. In recognition of his invaluable work he was given the WWF Award for nature conservation at the 39th WWF Annual Conference held in Kathmandu, on November 13-17, 2000.

At the WWF Award Ceremony in 2000, he gave the following renowned speech:

A Buddhist View of Harmony in Nature
Venerable Ngawang Tenzin Zangpo Rinpoche
Abbot of Tengboche Monastery, Khumbu, Nepal

In Buddhist texts, the world as we know is said to have arisen from the vitality of “Zambu-tikya”, the wish-fulfilling tree. In previous aeons (kal-pa), human being themselves are said to have been evolved from trees, stones and soil. We believe that despite our human birth, our very bodies are formed from the elements of earth, water, fire, air and space. These same five elements also produce different spieces of trees, and just as humans benefit from the elements being in dynamic balance, so too do trees. Just as humans are affected by natural calamities such as droughts and floods, so too are trees.

Trees are of great significance to Buddhists, both spiritually and materially. While the Buddha Sakyamuni was being born in Lumbini in southern Nepal, his mother held on to a branch of the “Bodhi” tree (Ficus religiosa), the tree of enlightenment. The Great Master Padmasambhava is said to have been born from a “Pema Gesar” (Nelumbo nucifera) flower in the sacred land of Oddiyana. While sitting under the “Bodhi” tree in Bodhgaya, the Buddha Sakyamuni realized the true nature of reality and achieved enlightenment. The Buddha Kanakuna gained enlightenment under the “Utumwara” tree and the Buddha Karkutsana under a “Shree Khenda” tree (Santalum album). Thus by providing a sheltering place for meditation, trees have aided even the Buddhas in their quest for enlightenment.

In the ancient land of Kashi, a bird, a rabbit, a monkey and an elephant lived together in the forest in great harmony, and peace prevailed throughout the kingdom. When the king of Kashi learned that these animals lived together harmoniously, he decreed that his subjects must follow their example. The bird is believed to have been an emanation of Buddha Sakyamuni, while the rabbit, monkey and the elephant are thought to be emanations of his disciples Shariputra, Mangalputra and Ananda. Even today, these animals are depicted together in Buddhist art as a portrait of harmony.

In ancient times, great teachers taught their pupils in the shade of big trees. Even kings held court under the trees. To this day, village markets are still conducted in the shade of trees.

Buddhists also believe that multitudes of deities and spirits dwell in trees and the environment in which they thrive. These spirits influence the weather, the harvests and the well being of the human communities that reside nearby. As long as human beings live in harmony with their environment and the resident deities and spirits, peace and well being will prevail. When the people cut down trees, dig into the earth, remove stones and minerals, and pollute mountains, these deities and spirits are disturbed and angered and cause natural calamities and illnesses. There are many stories that tell of this.

The Great Scholar Sakya Pandita was once invited to the court of the Mongol King Godem who was very ill. The deities and spirits who resided in the region appeared before Sakya Pandita and told him that King Godem’s activities such as cutting trees and digging into the earth to construct buildings had caused so much disturbance among the spirits of the earth that even the King had fallen ill. The spirits said that King Godem could only be healed if their own King was also healed. Sakya Pandita then performed a ceremony evoking Sengeda, an emanation of Lokeswara, the Lord of the Universe, and healed both the kings.

When the Buddhist warrior Gesar of Ling was fighting the King of Hor, he cut down the tree housing his “La” or life force. The barbarian King’s energy thus gradually began to wane and he was eventually slain in battle.

The mountain Deity Gauri Shankar instructed the Yogi Milarepa to perform ceremonies to cure the people of Lapchi who had become sick by polluting the air with the smell of burnt meat and milk. As a remedy, Milarepa advised the people of Lapchi to practice hygiene and cleanliness.

These several examples show haw cutting trees and producing toxic chemicals and needless waste gives rise to negative consequences, including new and incurable diseases, natural calmities and prychological unrest. All these activities should therefore be avoided as far as possible. If they are unavoidable, actions must be taken to reduce their harmful effects. One way is through special ceremonies that request the deities and spirits to minimize negative consequences and to restore harmony in our relationship with the environment. One example of such a practice is ‘rejuvenating the earth’ by burying urns known as “Sachue Bumpa”. In the year 2000, when there was adrought throughout Nepal, I prepared and distributed 1300 such vases upon the instructions of the learned Kyabje Trulshik Rinpoche, an activity which I believe was very beneficial to the affected areas.

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.