Venerable Dr.Rewata Dhamma

The Knower of the World
One of the nine major attributes of the Buddha was the title, "Lokavidu" meaning 'the knower of the worlds'. In this context it is said that the Blessed One has known, experienced and penetrated the world in all ways as to its individual essence, its arising, its cessation and the means of its cessation. On this subject, the Buddha once to said to one of his disciples:-

"Friend, that there is a world's end where one neither is born nor ages nor passes away nor reappears, which is to be known or reached by travel - that I do not say. Yet I do not say there is ending of suffering without reaching the world's end. Rather it is this fathom long carcass with its perceptions and its consciousness that I make known to the world, the arising of the world, the cessation of the world, and the way leading to the cessation of the world."

The Three-fold World
In general there are three kinds of world explained in the Buddhist Scriptures. The first is the world of formations (SaÊkhåra-loka), which includes all physical and mental compounded things and conditioning states, and also includes all creative or created physical and mental energies. The second kind is the world of beings (Satta-loka), that is, those energies manifested as beings under the control of the law of Kamma. The third kind is the world of location or space (Okåsa-loka) in which all kinds of matter, material phenomena and beings exist; this is the whole of space spanning the entire Universe.

In Buddhism the term Loka, ' the world', is defined in the sense of dissolving or crumbling, "Lujjati palujjatiti loko", and it includes all physical and mental phenomena. For example, all mentality and materiality in the way we understand it as material form, feelings, perception, mental formations and mind are included in the world of formations. The Abhidhamma states that each and every particle in the Universe is itself, a whole and a universe. When these material and mental phenomena are manifested as living beings as a result of their Kamma, then they are called 'the world of beings'. A Buddha, in virtue of his Buddhahood is one who knows the habits of all beings, knows their inherent tendencies, temperaments and natures and it is because of this knowledge that the Buddha is the 'Knower of the World', he knows all beings according to their different characteristics. In the context of the world of location the Buddha said: "One world's sphere (cakkavå¬a) is twelve thousand leagues in length and three thousand four hundred and fifty leagues in breadth" (One league measures approximately eight miles). (The Path of Purification-P 216)

The word Cakkavå¬a is a term for a single, complete universe and is just one of an infinite number of such universes. The concept of the Cosmos, in its general form, is not peculiar to Buddhism, but appears to have been the generally accepted one in the ancient world. Buddhism uses the term 'Loka-dhåtu', 'world element' and in its most limited sense it refers to a single world sphere, but it can be extended to mean any number of spheres, as for example, the group of world spheres dominated by a particular Brahma in a Brahma world.

The World Sphere
Buddhist Cosmology defines the Cakkavå¬a , the 'world sphere' or universe as that world sphere which contains the Earth, and the other planets, suns, moons and all the stars. In this world sphere there exists a total of thirty-one realms: the hell worlds (which are seen as being below the earth), the animal kingdom, the realm of hungry-ghosts, and demons or Asuras. These four are known collectively as the miserable realms (Apåya-bhËmi), the human realm (Manussa-bhËmi), the six divine realms (Deva-bhËmi), the sixteen material Brahma realms (RËpa-bhËmi), where people are reborn as a result of their attainment of the meditative absorptions, (the Jhånas), and there are also four formless realms (ArËpa-bhËmi), where people are reborn who have attained the higher Jhanas. These are what Theravada Buddhists call the thirty-one realms and are the planes of existence where one will be reborn again and again as a result of one's wholesome and unwholesome Kamma, until such time as one attains Nibbåna and thereby wins total release from rebirth in SaÊsåra.

Mind and Matter
It is very difficult for anyone to understand the Buddha's doctrine of Kamma if one does not understand the Buddhist systems of Cosmology and Cosmogony at the outset. The Buddhist theory of Cosmogony maintains that there have been immeasurable and innumerable Kappas (aeons) or periods of time already gone, and that there will be innumerable kappas (aeons) in the future. In terms of conventional or relative truth, the earth, the sun, the moon and the stars do indeed exist, as well as animate and inanimate objects.

There are human beings, animal beings, divine beings and also ordinary beings as distinguished from enlightened persons, Buddhas, Arahats and Bodhisattas and so forth. However, when we examine the Buddha's Paramattha-desana, those of his teachings concerning ultimate truth we come to know that all these things are in truth illusive and so whatever we see, perceive or understand are conventional realities and not ultimate realities. Concerning the nature of the world the Buddha said:-
        "The world is led by craving,
        By craving is it defiled
        And craving is that one thing,
        Controlled by which all follows"
(Samyutta-Nikaya-17.8)

He also said:-
        "It is just suffering that arises,
        Suffering that stays and disappears.
        Nothing but suffering ceases and nothing else."
        "As when with all parts assembled,
        Chariot is the word then used,
        So when the aggregates exist,
        One speaks of being by convention."
(Sagåthavagga-saÊyutta- v.19)

These verses point out the fact that desire is the fire which fuels suffering one of the three characterisitics of the world together with those of impermanence and no-self. From the Theravada standpoint, in the ultimate sense all things are nothing more than mental and material phenomena or Nåma-RËpa. Indeed the entire Universe is nothing but mind and matter. Mind and matter are, in fact the fundamental energies of the Universe. Buddhism encourages people to examine and investigate the real nature of the World. The Buddha fully analysed the entire Universe and stated that the Universe was, itself made up of five aggregates, twelve bases or eighteen elements. At this point, I would like to describe the five aggregates very briefly:

The Five Aggregates
(i) The first is the aggregate of matter, or the material universe. This includes the four great primary elements, (the Mahabhutas) and they are:- solidity, fluidity heat, and motion. It also includes the derivatives of these four primary elements and they are our five material sense organs, that is the faculties of eye, ear, nose, tongue and body and their corresponding objects which are visible form, sound, odour, taste and tangible things. The whole realm of matter both internal and external is included in these five aggregates.

There are four mental aggregates, namely the aggregate of sensations, the aggregate of perceptions, the aggregate of mental formations and the aggregate of consciousness.

(ii) The aggregate of sensations includes all of our feelings, be they pleasant, unpleasant or neutral; as well as experience through the contact of the physical and mental sense organs with the external world. These sensations are of six kinds and they are the sensations experienced through the contact of the eye with visible forms, of the ear with sounds, of the nose with odour, of the tongue with taste, of the body with tangible objects and of the mind with mental objects, thoughts or ideas. All our physical or mental feelings are included in this group.

(iii) The aggregate of perception is also of six kinds in relation to the six internal faculties, and the corresponding six external objects. Like the sensations, they arise through the contact of our six faculties with the external world. It is perception that recognizes sense objects, whether they be physical or mental.

(iv) The aggregate of mental formations includes all volitional activities, both good and bad. What is generally known as kamma belongs to this group. The Buddha's own defintion of kamma was this : "Oh, Bhikkhus, it is volition (cetanå) that I call Kamma. Having willed, one acts through body, speech and mind", (Anguttara-Nikaya). In this group of mental formations there are also other mental properties such as attention, will, determination, confidence, concentration, wisdom, energy, desire, hatred, conceit, ignorance, the idea of self, and so forth. There are a total of fifty such mental activities which constitute the aggregate of mental formations.

(v) The aggregate of consciousness is an awareness, cognition or response which has one of the six faculties that is, eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and mind as its basis, and one of the six corresponding external phenomena, that is, visible form, sound, odour, taste, tangible things and mental objects as its object. It should be understood clearly that consciousness does not recognize an object. It is only a sort of awareness, an awareness of the presence of an object. For example, when the eye comes into contact with colour, with for instance, the colour blue then visual consciousness arises which is simply an awareness of the presence of colour; but it does not recognize that it is blue, no such recognition arises at this stage. It is not the faculty of consciousness but that of perception which recognizes that it is blue. The term "visual consciousness" is simply a philosophical expression and denotes the same idea as is conveyed by the ordinary word 'seeing' . In this situation seeing does not mean recognition, and similarly for the other forms of consciousness. According to the Buddhist doctrine of Anatta, there is no permanent, unchanging spirit which can be described as 'self', 'soul' or 'ego.' The Buddha declared in quite unequivocal terms that consciousness depends upon matter, sensation, perception and mental formations, and that it cannot exist independently of these. He said:-

"Consciousness may exist, matter as its means, as its object, as its support, and seeking delight it may grow, increase and develop in the same way as sensations, perceptions and mental formations as its means, object, support and seeking delight it may grow, increase and develop."

(Samyutta-Nikaya- III.58)

The Buddha called these five aggregates taken as a whole 'the world. What we call a 'being' or an 'individual' or "I" are only convenient names or labels given to the combination of these five groups. They are all impermanent, all constantly changing and because of their impermanent nature they are also dukkha or suffering. In this connection the Buddha said. to the Brahmin Ra††hapåla: -

"Oh Brahmana, it is just like a mountain river, flowing far and swift, taking everything along with it, there is no moment, no instant, no second, when it has stopped flowing. But it goes on flowing and continuing. So Brahmana, is human life like a mountain river."

(Anguttara-Nikåya)
The Buddha also told Ra††hapåla that the world is a continuous flux, and it is impermanent.

Units of Elements
According to the Abhidhamma, the Buddha reduced the entire material world into Kalåpas. A kalåpa is a unit of elements. Each Kalåpa contains the four great primary elements and their secondary characteristics, such as colour, odour, taste and subtle nutriment. Each of the four great elements has two chief characteristics or qualities. The earth element has the qualities of hardness and softness, the water element has the qualities of fluidity and cohesion, the fire element has the qualities of heat and cold, and the air element has the qualities of motion and movement. These Kalåpas are very tiny and cannot be seen by the naked eye. They are sub-atomic particles which are in constant flux; they arise and pass-away millions of times a second. Each kalapa tends to exist independently, but they are inter-dependent with each other, and exist by repetition so that when they combine together a material substance is formed. Theravada Buddhism teaches us to understand that these tiny particles are 'Sabhåva', meaning real. The investigation one undertakes in meditation enables a person to see that the entire universe is in a constant state of flux. At that time one is seeing just the present moment; from this moment in the present one can also see the past and the future and it is this insight which enables a person to realize that the whole of the world system is always changing and through this experience and insight into the present moment a person can understand precisely what the Buddha meant when he said: "Sabbe sa+khårå aniccå," all compounded things are changing.

According to our understanding the material and mental units travel from the infinite past towards the infinite future and they only exist in the present moment. In one sense time is the measure of change and the present is the one point in time at which the past separates from the future and its duration is immeasurably tiny, as tiny as a geometrical point. The present moment helps us to measure the units of mind and matter. The Buddha explained that the Universe is infinite in every way. The measure of infinity is more than figures can express. It is immeasurable. There is no beginning nor end in time in either direction; past or future time extends to infinity. Therefore, any point in time is the centre of time; so the present is as much the centre of time as is a point of time in the countless years occurring in the past or future. When, therefore, we are considering the duration of a human life span, the duration in time of the existence of the earth or the duration of this portion of the Universe, we know that we are considering definite lengths of time be they in the past, present or future.

In Theravada Buddhist meditation great emphasis is put upon awareness of the present moment. If we understand the nature of things in the immediate present, from moment to moment then surely we will understand the nature of all things. Therefore, when we observe the sub-atomic particles, the Kalåpas, in the light of the present moment we can know that these particles are like everything else, ever changing or transient and completely empty of essence or entity. There is no permanent substance in this continuously fluctuating Universe.

In the same way we have to understand our mind and its properties as a constant flux. The duration of one mental and material unit is divided into three instants, that is into its arising, its development and its dissolution. The duration of a unit of mind is so short that it is said in the Abhidhamma that a unit of mind changes about a trillion times during a single flash of lightning and its rate of repetition is regular and constant. The forces of mind vary from being to being according to the accumulated weight of the perfections, such as patience and giving and the defilements such as sensual pleasures and false-views each one of us carries. It is said that the rate of speed at which the mind changes is sixteen times faster than that of any of the physical elements. The Abhidhamma also says that the mind of each human being is heart-centered and that it extends to every live molecule in the body. Thus the element of mind is present in every part of a person's physical system but the intensity of its presence varies. The presence of the mind is more intense in the six sense organs and it is less intense in other parts of the body. It is important to understand that the five aggregates of the physical and mental universe are constantly changing and are completely void of an everlasting soul and no essence can be found in them. This is their nature.

This concept of voidness, or emptiness is, by some schools of Buddhism, called the Doctrine of Suññatå or ' the emptiness' of everything that exists in the Universe. It is a transcendental reality and as such is quite beyond the grasp of the intellect and verbal expression. However, the Theravada school of Buddhism and some other schools maintain that there are a total of seventy-two Dhammas or metaphysical realities. In their view, these realities exist but are impermanent and have no everlasting soul or entity.

The Generative Forces of the Matter
The Theravadins also hold that there are four absolute realities or Paramattha and they are: consciousness, mental factors, matter and Nibbåna. Nibbåna is uncompounded and unconditioned. The other three, namely consciousness, mind and matter are, however, compounded and conditioned and therefore, are subject to change. When these generative forces of mind and matter arise they do so from moment to moment and are dependent on particular causes and natural laws. The Abhidhamma also states that there are four principal causes for the existence of material atoms and they are: Kamma, our past actions, Citta, thought, Utu, energy and Óhåra, nutriment. Volitional acts performed in the past generate in the present life certain kinds of matter such as the life element, the sex element, and the sensitive-element of the body. Present thought also generates a number of different kinds of atoms. Energy or heat is an integral property of every kind of matter. The interaction between internal and external energies is responsible for most of the different kinds and states of matter, and nutriment is also common to all matter. This is an element within the atom and not the atom itself. Thus the entire material universe exists because of these four generative forces.

The Natural Laws
As previously explained the Universe consists of an innumerable number of heavenly bodies, existing as a system. The world of each system can be further divided into three sub-systems. This universe of animate and inanimate objects exists on a basis of conditioning and the occurrence of physical and mental events that are governed by natural laws. In Buddhist philosophy all mental and material phenomena are seen as being subject to invariable and inexorable natural laws and are not thought to be the products of an arbitrary creator. These natural laws, known as Niyåma Dhamma are divided into five categories and they are: the law of past action, (kamma-niyåma), the law of thought or consciousness (citta-niyåma), the law of heredity (b¥ja-niyåma), the law of energy (utu-niyåma), and the law of phenomenology (dhamma-niyåma). Each unit of mind and matter exists according to these five laws. The Buddha expounded in detail in the Abhidhamma how these natural laws operate and govern the Universe. Moreover, these natural laws which we human beings are also subject to remind us that we are not exempt from responsibility for our part in the creation and survival or destruction of the world we live in.

Causal Relations
According to the doctrine of causal relations all phenomena and events are not the product of a single cause, but of a multiplicity of causes or conditions. According to this doctrine there is no first cause, and there is no single cause which conditions any particular effect. To help us to better understand this very profound Doctrine of Causal Relations the Buddha taught this formula - "When this is, that is; this arising, that arises; when this is not, that is not; this ceasing, that ceases." To clarify this formula and to facilitate our understanding of it the Buddha preached the Paticca-samuppada, the Law of Dependent Origination. This doctrine of universal causation, or dependent origination, is stated and formulated in the numerical list of the twelve Nidanas, or original causes which has been explained as the Law of Causality Relations, The twelve Nidånas are ignorance (avijjå), mental formations (sa+khåras), rebirth consciousness (viññåna), mind and matter (Nåma-RËpa), the six sense spheres (sa¬åyatana), contact (phassa), feelings (vedanå), desire (tanhå), clinging (upådåna), becoming (bhava), birth (jåti), and old-age, and death (jarå-maraˆa).

Although, Buddhism has a number of schools distinguished by their various philosophical and cultural traditions, nevertheless, all of the schools accept the Doctrine of Dependent Origination as the basis for their philosophical concepts but, each school interprets it according to its own philosophical views and tradition. This fundamental doctrine is interpreted on different levels to enable people to understand it according to their individual abilities. This doctrine is also called the Wheel of Life and as such it describes in a conventional and relative way how people are reborn again and again in SaÊsåra, the cycle of rebirth, as dictated by the laws of nature and according to the fruits of their accumulated kamma. Thus life is depicted as a wheel or cycle, and however primitive that life form may be as for instance, that of an ameoba, it cannot be traced back to a first beginning, because it contains within it the possibilities of progress and of regress. The question of tracing cause back to a first event does not arise because a first event never existed. This, however is not a statement in respect of species, which is the vehicle of a particular life form, but pertains to the individual or the personality.

Concerning causality, the Buddha also expounded twenty-four causal relations (Paccaya). According to these causal relations an effect is not produced by a single cause but by a number of causes. This is a many to one relation. The Law of Dependent Origination points to the basic or main cause. For example, in the preparation of a meal of rice , rice paddy is the main cause; however. the cooking pot, the water, the fire-place and the cook are all necessary; but if the farmer did not produce the paddy then the other things would be of no use. In this case according to the Law of Dependent Origination the paddy is singled out as the main cause. On the other hand, the system of Causal Relations or Pa††håna, examines all the relevant causes or relationships or the precise circumstances due to which as for example, out of the paddy, a rice meal is produced.

If we examine or investigate the Doctrine of Dependent Origination or causal relations we will understand that whatever we apparently see in this world is an illusion, a kind of hallucination. We also come to realize that ultimately, there is no such thing as as an individual, "I" or personality, just the phenomenon exists, which in nature never exists for two consecutive moments as it is an ever changing process. However, we have to understand this reality, as without understanding it we would be unable to realize the Four Noble Truths or appreciate the true nature of the world, its inherent unsatisfactoriness, impermanence and lack of substantiality and entity.

If we examine the nature of the Universe in the light of the Buddha's teachings and perspective then we can begin to understand how much we are responsible for the whole Universe. If we look at the Universe from a perspective of Conventional Truth then we can see that all living beings are born and die repeatedly from the infinite past to the infinite future. During this long journey in SaÊsåra we have met together many times with each being; therefore, we Buddhists say all beings are related at some time or another as mother, father, sister, brother and so forth. We should, therefore regard all living beings as our relatives, all these beings are suffering in the same way and we should help those we can and encourage them to develop their wisdom and understanding. Without understanding, without wisdom no one will ever find release from the suffering that is inherent in life. Our own individual liberation is not important, the important thing is how we can be of help to others. The Buddha throughout his forty-five year long ministry again and again encouraged the practice of loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy and equinimity because this practice will help all beings to eliminate their ignorance and develop wisdom. Buddhism does not hold the giving of material things to be the most important thing, but the giving of Dhamma is most excellent as is said in the Dhammapada:- "The gift of Truth (dhamma) excels all other gifts." When the Buddha sent forth his disciples to teach, for the first time, he adviced them to go in all directions and explain the Dhamma for the benefit of many and for the happiness of many. According to Buddhism all living beings are suffering from the darkness of ignorance so it is important to show them the light so that they can see their way towards the ultimate goal of Enlightenment. This requires dedication and even self-sacrifice. The Bodhisatta Avalokiteshvara took the vow that he would not enter Nirvana (Nibbåna) while any living being remains in SaÊsåra. At the same time we must take care not to neglect our own spiritual development and education.

The Environment
The concept of the Environment covers just about everything associated with the human organism and includes other organisms and the inanimate part of the world in which life occurs. This word ' environment' has approximately the same meaning as surroundings, but it is interesting, and I think particularly relevant to our seminar, that as a verb to 'environ' carries the connotation of surrounding in the sense of caring for and protecting as one would a living thing. Not only are we alive, but the earth and its environment is, indeed, a living thing, harm it and we harm ourselves. The evidence for this is abundant especially in over-industrialized countries where large populations of people make more and more demands on the Environment. Also modern farming methods are convenient and money-making businesses for some, but in the end harmful and destructive to humans, animals and even the crops because of the chemical pesticides now used. All of these things contribute to what we call the Global Environmental Crisis. A crisis is defined as both a crucial moment and a turning point. We are at this turning point as far as the Environment is concerned. Its survival or destruction is our responsibility.

The Environment is a thing which we have created and is a designation of the natural process that has moved and developed through countless ages and inconceivable causes in the infinite past, therefore it is undergoing a process of change day in and day out regardless of whether people recognize this or not. The Buddhist perspective on the Environment is an individual's relationship with the world and our transformation of the world we live in. We need to see how things live, and how they are inter-related. It is in this context that Buddhism expounds on the wholeness of all things in inter-relationship. In the Doctrine of Dependent Origination, the Pa†icca-samuppåda, it is stated that nothing is created or can exist apart from this network of inter-relationships. Things do not exist independently. This network is not a static process but one of dynamic motion with infinite potential in the infinite Universe.

The Buddha emphasized the need to see the nature of change in the Universe as impermanence or suffering. It is because of our ignorance that we do not understand the inter-relationship of all things and their inherent impermanence. As long as we live in ignorance we are blinded to the truth of things as they really are and so we fail to see the world as it really is. Ignorance also makes us develop attachment to a false and deluded sense of 'I' or 'We', and it is this sense of egocentricity that creates barriers, boundaries and separations between men and their world. Whenever we have these biased and selfish views then our energies are exerted in striving to preserve our own lives seeking only our pleasure and profit. We strive to acquire more and more personal posssessions, many of which are unnecessary, to the exclusion of others happiness and well-being and often to the detriment of the world all of us share and depend upon. This is not good for us and it is not the way to personal and universal happiness and harmony. The Buddha gave us a workable method to eliminate ignorance, greed and self-centredness the roots of our own and the world's ills. This is our task ,our responsibility. He once said:- "It is suffering, the origin of suffering, the arising of suffering and the way out of suffering that I teach." He also encouraged us to 'Learn to do good, cease to do evil and purify the mind. This was his formula for personal and Universal purification, well-being and deliverance and total liberation from ill. Mind is very important. As we have seen mind is most important in the Buddha's teaching. As the very first verse in the Dhammapada says: "A defiled mind generates unhappiness and suffering, a pure mind brings happiness and freedom from suffering." If we free our minds of the mental defilements we will become enlightened to the fundamental wholeness of the world, its intricate and inter-related balance. We will also come to be clear about how we are conditioning the entire Universe and what a great responsibilty we have for the inter-related world.

Buddhism emphasises the need to comprehend the nature of change in the Universe and its characteristic impermanence and suffering. It is because of our ignorance that we do not understand the inter-relationship of things or their impermanence. As long as we are blinded by ignorance we develop a false and wrong and harmful attachment to the idea of "I" or "We." This kind of concept creates boundaries, and separation from the rest of the world and much selfishness. When we have these kinds of views then our energies are exerted to preserving our existence and procuring personal possessions. Therefore as Buddhists our main task is to eliminate ignorance and attachment and self-assertion. If we are free from these harmful mental defilements then we will be aware of and awaken to the oneness of the Universe and will learn how to live within the wholeness of inter-related balance. Also we will see clearly about how we are conditioning the entire Universe and how much we have responsibilities to the inter-related world and how much we can contribute to its well-being or destruction.

Ecology
Nowadays, Ecology has become a popular science and virtually a household word. A few years ago not many people understood or used the word. These days people are more interested in talking about Ecology and there is a move towards taking Ecology seriously and making the preservation and safety of the environment a priority, particularly in the western world. In the East, too there is a growing awareness of the Environment and Ecology and the crisis facing it and the rest of the world. Recently, the blight of air pollution across much of South East Asia has highlighted the gravity and urgency of the need for environmental awareness and effective ecological action here and world-wide. Ecology has been defined in the New Oxford Dictionary as,"the scientific study of people, plants and animals and institutions in relation to the Environment." It is also concerned with methods and processes naturally beneficial to the Environment and with the growth of populations, with animals and plants, their welfare and conservation and with the non- exploitation of the Earth's natural resources. Awareness and purposeful action is the way to care for and protect the Environment. Another thing which Ecology concerns itself with is the structure of communities and their relationship to local environments, which are always in a state of flux. Ecologists say that there are many possible kinds of relationship between organisms (plants, animals, and other living things such as viruses) and that part of the inanimate world in which they occur. Most relationships between plants and animals are baffling in their complexity and it is virtually impossible to make any assumptions about the outcome of a deliberate change in or interference with the natural environment. Nevertheless, Ecology as a scientific study is concerned with the complex relatonships between plants and animals and according to ecological analysis everything in the world is related to everything else: this includes the levels of growth and decrease of populations, individual and environmental changes and organic development and so forth.

Human beings are not the only living beings in the world, other beings also have the right to live and develop. If we examine the history of the earth it becomes clear that as long as the human population has grown it has depended upon the natural environment and has contributed in varying degrees to the destruction of the environment. The evidence of past and current environmental abuses and disasters is alarming and cannot be ignored. It is important that we understand that as human beings we cannot live on this earth by ourselves. We are dependent upon animals and plants in many ways even for the very air we breathe and for our food, clothing, shelter and medicine. Animals and plants in turn depend upon us to some degree for their survival. There is a delicate and intricate balance existing between the human realm and the animal and plant kingdoms. All too often mankind has ignored this and exploited the environment for his own greedy and selfish ends, ultimately to his own detriment as well as others and the planet as a whole. This problem has escalated particularly since the growth of more industrialized societies.

Let me give you an example. The Buddhist Scriptures say that in the beginning of this aeon the life-span of human beings was very long because the nutrition provided by plants and vegetables was of the highest quality. When people developed anger, hatred and delusion, these mental forces which influenced and governed their physical bodies and their vibrations adversely affected the plants and animals. As a result the quality of the nutrition in plants was reduced and consequently the human life-span grew shorter and shorter and disease became a problem. Even now we have to use a great deal of drugs to treat and try to fight human diseases. These drugs are derived from other organisms and plants. In ancient times people used leaves and roots as medicine. As has been explained previously the whole of the Universe is inter-related and inter-dependent. When therefore, we human beings generate wholesome or unwholesome energies it is bound to influence not only ourselves but also everything else in the world. Many practical things can be done and some are already being done to protect our environment. However, it is just as important for us to see that on a spiritual level, too there is much that we can and should do to foster, nourish and protect ourselves and others on a local and even on a global scale. If we develop wholesome energies such as the forces of Loving-kindness, Compassion, Sympathetic Joy and Equanimity, what are known in Buddhism as the Brahma-viharas or the Divine-abidings, it will benefit us, and if we also extend these wholesome mental energies to others they also will be positively affected by them. As has been explained previously the whole World is inter-related to the extent that when we generate wholesome or unwholesome energies it will affect others and everything in it either for the good or ill. The Buddha often stressed that we should be aware of ourselves and our every thought, word and deed and guard against transmitting any impure or harmful energies to others. If we do this all of mankind can indeed live in this world happily and peacefully and animals and plants will benefit, too.