Adams Media - What Would the Buddha Recycle? A Mindful Guide to an Eco-Friendly Life

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This Adams Media hardcover edition November 2020

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Interior illustrations by Priscilla Yuen

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ISBN 978-1-5072-1385-8

ISBN 978-1-5072-1386-5 (ebook)

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Contains material adapted from the following title published by Adams Media, an Imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc.: What Would the Buddha Recycle? by Rosemary Roberts, copyright 2009, ISBN 978-1-60550-117-8.

The paper used in this book is from responsibly managed forests.

Find peace through choosing organic rather than synthetic clothing.

Achieve inner calm by converting your home to solar energy.

Be at one with the world through buying from your local farmers market.

More than 2,500 years ago, a child was born in India. His name was Siddhartha Gautama, and he became the Buddha, a figure who would influence millions of people through the centuries. The Buddha taught us to be conscious of the world and the role you playthe direct impact of your thoughts, choices, and actions. Across the centuries, his message still shines: Be one with that world! Today, that means supporting a sustainable environment. The purpose of this book is to offer you a different perspective on how to transform your eco-footprint through education, conscious living, and self-awareness.

The action of mind (thought) and choice (action) based on intention (environmental safety) is Zenthe school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China about 1,200 years ago. You are not simply one, but one of the world whose presence, like the ripple of a pebble tossed into a pond, affects the vibration and well-being of everything and everyone around you. The practice of Zen, as it relates to living in a more environmentally friendly way, is to gain a better understanding of your personal rippleto more consciously acknowledge the way in which your choices and actions contribute to your health, life, and the planet Earth, adding richness to it.

In these pages, youll find suggestions about:

1. Your use of energy resources
2. Mindful housecleaning and washing
3. Zen eating and drinking habits
4. Green personal care
5. Ecologically sound transportation
6. Vacationing responsibly

With the added tools offered by Zen you can begin to consciously alter the ramifications of your personal global ripple in a very positive way. Because Zen does not rely on formal religious dogma, it can be incorporated into your life regardless of your religious beliefs and traditional practices. Buddha didnt think of himself as a god, but as a human being who found enlightenment and peace by shedding material excess and understanding his connection to the world. This path is open to anyone.

Its true that the thought of reducing your environmental footprint can seem daunting. But you dont have to turn your life upside down. Mindfully caring for the earth and its inhabitants can be done by making small changes and coming to simple realizations about your lifestylewhich is just how Buddha made his way to Nirvana.

P ART O NE The Zen of Sustainability

Zen teaches us that a ripple begins as a thought and transforms into an action that moves throughout the universe. Many of us never know the full consequences of our actions, but every now and then we have the opportunity to witness a ripple become a wave.

Within the very heart of Zen are eight tools of right that make every task, every decision, and, consequently, every reaction to your actions purposeful. When used to preserve and honor the earth and the world around, above, and below us, these tools embody the essence of sustainabilitythe Zen way. The pathway of eight is a tool more than a ruleeach part of the pathway is a critical step toward enlightenment and well-being for those on Earth and Earth itself.

Becoming sustainable has now become a passion of the masses, and, indeed, a necessary way of life if we are to preserve life on Earth itselfincluding our own. With consciousness comes opportunity, and living an eco-friendly life has never been easier for the individual, a community, or a nation.

Can we ignore what weve learned about the environment so far, or ignore further the rapid fire of new information from a focused scientific community? If we choose to do so, what price for our actionor lack of actionwill our children, and our childrens children, ultimately pay? With right thought, change becomes possible.

Speaking out about the need for conservation and green technologies, as well as praising others for their efforts, is using right speech. Reciting all the excuses as to why recycling is too much of a hassle is a vibrational assault against the earth.

Given that every action has a cause and effect, its important to examine what you think and what you know, and then choose actions that first do no harmactions that support the well-being of human, plant, and animal, as well as the earth.

Livelihood is your expression of life, the spirit from which you draw and expand upon each and every day. Expressing your ecological footprint in ways that benefit and support all aspects of your life (home, work, and play) is right livelihood.

Right effort is about doing what you can, when you can, and because you can. When you apply effort to thinking about the changes you can make toward your green transformation (right thinking), then take action to make those changes (right action), thats right effort. Right effort applies to the smallest change equally as it applies to the largest change.