The Sheltering Tree of Interdependence.

[muni]

Poem by THE DALAI LAMA

"These lines have been composed to underline my deep concern, and to call upon all people to make continuous efforts to preserve and remedy the degradation of our environment."

1

Lord Tathagata born of the Iksvakus tree
Peerless One
Who, seeing the all-pervasive nature
Of interdependence
Between the environment and sentient beings
Samsara and Nirvana
Moving and unmoving
Teaches the world out of compassion
Bestow thy benevolence on us

2

the Saviour
The One called Avalokitesvara
Personifying the body of compassion
Of all Buddhas
We beseech thee to make our spirits ripen
And fructify to observe reality
Bereft of illusion

3

Our obdurate egocentricity
Ingrained in our minds
Since beginningless time
Contaminates, defiles and pollutes
The environment
Created by the common karma
Of all sentient beings

4

Lakes and ponds have lost
Their clarity, their coolness
The atmosphere is poisoned
Nature's celestial canopy in the fiery firmament
Has burst asunder
And sentient beings suffer diseases
Unknown before

5

Perennial snow mountains resplendent in their glory
Bow down and melt into water
The majestic oceans lose their ageless equilibrium
And inundate islands

6

The dangers of fire, water and wind are limitless
Sweltering heat dries up our lush forests
Lashing our world with unprecedented storms
And the oceans surrender their salt to the elements

7

Though people lack not wealth
They cannot afford to breathe clean air
Rain and streams cleanse not
But remain inert and powerless liquids

8

Human beings
And countless beings
That inhabit water and land
Reel under the yoke of physical pain
Caused by malevolent diseases
Their minds are dulled
With sloth, stupor and ignorance
The joys of body and spirit
Are far, far away

9

We needlessly pollute
The fair bosom of our mother earth
Rip out her trees to feed our short -
sighted greedTurning our fertile earth into a sterile desert

10

The interdependent nature
Of the external environment
And people's inward nature
Described in Tantras
Works on medicine, and astronomy
Has verily been vindicated
By our present experience.

11

The earth is home to living beings;
Equal and impartial to the moving and unmoving
Thus spoke the Buddha in truthful voice
With the great earth for witness

12

As a noble being recognizes the kindness
Of a sentient mother
And makes recompense for it
So the earth, the universal mother
Which nurtures all equally
Should be regarded with affection and Care

13

Forsake wastage
Pollute not the clean, clear nature
Of the four elements
And destroy the well being of people
But absorb yourself in actions
That are beneficial to all

14

Under a tree was the great Sage
Buddha born
Under a tree, he overcame passion
And attained enlightenment
Under two trees did he pass in Nirvana
Verily, the Buddha held the tree in great esteem

15

Here, where Manjusri's emanation
Lama Tson Khapa's body bloomed forth
Is marked by a sandal tree
Bearing a hundred thousand images of the Buddha

16

Is it not well known
That some transcendental deities
Eminent local deities and spirits
Make their abode in trees?

17

Flourishing trees clean the wind
Help us breathe the sustaining air of life
They please the eye and soothe the mind
Their shade makes a welcome resting place

18

In Vinaya, the Buddha taught monks
To care for tender trees
From this, we learn the virtue
Of planting, of nurturing trees

22

In times of yore
Our forbears ate the fruits of trees
Wore their leaves
Discovered fire by the attrition of wood
Took refuge amidst the foliage of trees
When they encountered danger

23

Even in this age of science of technology
Trees provide us shelter
The chairs we sit in
The beds we lie on
When the heart is ablaze
With the fire of anger
Fuelled by wrangling
Trees bring refreshing, welcome coolness

24

In the trees lie the roots
Of all life on earth
When it vanishes
The land exemplified by the name
Of the Jambu tree
Will remain no more
Than a dreary, desolate desert

25

Nothing is dearer to the living than life
Recognising this, in the Vinaya rules
The Buddha lays down prohibitions
Like the use of water with living creatures

26

In the remoteness of the Himalayas
In the days of yore, the land of Tibet
Observed a ban on hunting, on fishing
And, during designated periods, even construction.
These traditions are noble
For they preserve and cherish
The lives of humble, helpless,
defenseless creatures

27

Playing with the lives of other beings
Without sensitivity or hesitation
As in the act of hunting or fishing for sport
Is an act of heedless, needless violence
A violation of the solemn rights
Of all living beings

28

Being attentive to the nature
Of interdependence of all creatures
Both animate and inanimate
One should never slacken in one's efforts
To preserve and conserve nature's energy

29

On a certain day, month and year
One should observe the ceremony
Of tree planting
Thus, one fulfills one's responsibilities
Serves one's fellow beings
Which not only brings one happiness
But benefits all

30

May the force of observing that which is right
And abstinence from wrong practices and evil deeds
Nourish and augment the prosperity of the world
May it invigorate living beings and help them blossom
May sylvan joy and pristine happiness
Ever increase, ever spread and encompass all that is.