Early Buddhist Reference To Recycling -- by Cindy Chung Shi Wei Buddhist And Pali College of Singapore

As our civilization and technology advance at exponential rates, our activities are causing great detrimental impacts on the Earth. Man is slowly destroying his environment. If no remedies are applied, the karma will be on us for we will be the ones who suffer in a "wasted" environment.

There are three key concerns in our environmental issues, ozone depletion, the increase of non-biodegradable waste and the depletion of natural resources.

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. Monks are prohibited in the Vinaya to cut down trees, citing the popular belief that trees have lives. Just as much as the dog, the ox, the horse, trees silently serve man, providing him with many requisites. In addition, plants absorb carbon dioxide exhaled by us and purify our surroundings by emitting oxygen which is vital for life. Therefore, cutting down trees is laid down as an offence of "expiation".

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.

To conserve our environment, we should recycle used materials.This will slow down the rate at which we use landfills, conserve natural pollutants and save energy. When we throw things into trash, we add to the amount of materials going into landfills. By recycling items, we keep these materials out of landfills. Lots of things can be recycled. Paper can be recycled into newspaper, toilet paper, writing and printer paper, envelopes and packaging. Glass is used to produce new glass bottles and containers and is added to aggregates to create surface textures, paving stones, road surfacing and tiles and is used in fiberglass manufacture. Recycled plastics are used for producing packaging, carrier bags, refuse sacks, containers, clothing, fencing and furniture.

It was mentioned in the Cullavagga XI, King Udena asked Veneral Ananda on the use of the five hundred inner robes given by his concubines.

"I will share them, Your Majesty, with those monks whose robes are worn thin."

"But what will you do, Venerable Ananda, with those old robes that are worn thin?"

"We will make them into upper coverings to spread over our beds."

"But what will you do, Venerable Ananda, with those old upper coverings that are worn thin?"

"We will make these into mattress coverings, your majesty."

"But what will you do, Venerable Ananda, with those mattress coverings that are old?

"We will make them into ground coverings, your majesty."

"But what will you do, Venerable Ananda, with the ground coverings that are old?""We will make them into door mats, your majesty."

"But what will you do, Venerable Ananda, with those door mats that are old?"

"We will make them into dusters, your majesty."

"But what will you do, Venerable Ananda, with those dusters that are old?"

"Having torn them into shreds, your majesty, having kneaded them with mud, we will smear a plaster-flooring."

Then, King Udena knowing that the monks of Sakyan Sage use everything in an orderly way and do not let things go to waste, bestowed even another five hundred robes to Venerable Ananda.

It is highlighted in the Vanaropa Sutta of the Samyutta Nikaya that the planting of gardens and forests are meritorious acts, accruing merits day and night to the benefactors. Also, in the Dhammapada, the "Vana" or forest was used by the Buddha as a pun to imply to the present world: "Cut down the forest (vana) of passions but not real trees. From the forest of passions springs fear that simply means cut down desire but not the trees.