Prioritize to Balance our ‘Mother Nature’

It is a ‘truth’ and an old saying that to save nature plant trees, but we should give attention on this on priority base. There are unlimited benefits of a healthy  tree on our environment. These are:

• Supply of oxygen for living beings to breathe
• Purification of air
• Its shade provides refreshing place to rest
• It brings rain at the right time
• It nourishes crops and livestock
• Balances the temperature
• Contributes to an attractive landscape
• Continually replenishes its surroundings
• Harmonises the other atmospheric elements
• Increase the life expectancy
• Natural development in the spheres of education, economics and so forth

There are so many drawbacks of a polluted environment which includes:

• Decline in pure, cool qualities of air, water and soil
• Creatures dwelling around get disturbed
• Loss of vegetation causes degeneration in earth’s nourishment
• Timely rain does not fall
• Unprecedented fierce storms come and destroy the nearby areas

In the Vinaya of the holy Dharma, fully ordained monks are taught how to nurture trees and so on. From that we can understand that planting and nurturing trees are virtuous acts. Moreover, the wisdom dieties of the non-mundane worlds, as well as various local devas, nagas and spirits, inhabit trees. That also leads us to understand that trees are, by nature, extremely important.

Similarly, fruit trees provide a living and nourishment for human and other creatures. They help to improve health. Likewise, planting flowers also is a pure and virtuous act. Flowers assist us in accumulating merit and purifying obscurations. They are also a part of offerings in performing religious activities. When troubled or stressed people roam in the garden lush with flowers, their minds are benefited by becoming refreshed and filled with pleasure.

Therefore, we need to take an interest in planting various kinds of trees and flowers around schools, offices, hospitals, houses, factories, restaurants. hotels and both sides of throughfares. People should advise their children not to harm the planted vegetation. It is inappropriate to randomly discard fruit peel, paper, plastic bottles, old clothes, food leftovers, and other kinds of garbage. Nor should people urinate and defecate everywhere. Such things spoil the beauty of the landscape and are a hazard to health and hygiene.

In short, this is a request that, through understanding the interdependent nature of the world and its inhabitants, people will implement practices based upon unmistakenly accepting the correct means to cherish the potential of the vast natural realm.

Matter Courtesy:  HH The XIV Dalai Lama, 2nd Sep. 1994, dalailama.com, The Times of India, Ahmedabad, Wednesday, Oct. 25th, 2017.