文／Taken from ”The
Buddhist Attitude Towards Nature”, by Lily de Silva. Access to Insight (BCBS
Edition), 30 November 2013,
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/desilva/attitude.html
圖／佛陀紀念館 Buddha Museum
在《巴利文大藏經》的長部，《轉輪王經》當中，預測了人類道德越來越敗壞時的未來事態，漸漸地，人類的健康嚴重惡化，預期壽命減少，平均壽命縮短至十年，適婚年齡更是只剩下五年。到了那時，所有的美食佳餚，如酥油、奶油或蜂蜜等，將自地球上消失，如今被認為最粗糙的雜糧屆時則會成為美味的食物。因此在佛教的思想裡，人類的道德與可利用的自然資源有著密不可分的關係。
《轉輪王經》的註釋中進一步解釋其中的相互作用，當人們因貪婪而墮落，後果會造成饑荒；當人們因無知而導致道德敗壞，將會出現無法避免的疾病；當憎恨使力量墮落，最終會使暴力遍佈各地。只有在人們察覺到因為自身道德的墮落，面臨了大規模的災難後，僅存的人類才會發省，而經過長久的因果作用，人們的道德逐漸復興，人們又能再次享受繁榮的社會及更長久的壽命。
在這個大自然與人類共存的世界，會隨著道德力量的作用歷經起起落落，假使社會上沒有道德可言，人類與自然共同惡化；有了道德的作用，人的生活品質與自然都會得到改善。因此，貪嗔癡不論是對人心或對外在環境都會造成汙染；相反地，佈施、慈悲與般若淨化我們的心靈與環境。這就是佛陀所說的，心是世界的主導者，根據這樣的佛教理念，可見人類與自然是相互依靠的。
The
Cakkavattisihanada Sutta of the Digha Nikaya predicts the future course of
events when human morals undergo further degeneration. Gradually man's health
will deteriorate so much that life expectancy will diminish until at last the
average human life-span is reduced to ten years and marriageable age to five
years. At that time all delicacies such as ghee, butter, honey, etc. will have
disappeared from the earth; what is considered the poorest coarse food today
will become a delicacy of that day. Thus Buddhism maintains that there is a
close link between man's morals and the natural resources available to him.
The
commentary on the Cakkavattisihanada Sutta goes on to explain the pattern of
mutual interaction further. When mankind is demoralized through greed, famine
is the natural outcome; when moral degeneration is due to ignorance, epidemic
is the inevitable result; when hatred is the demoralizing force, widespread
violence is the ultimate outcome. If and when mankind realizes that large-scale
devastation has taken place as a result of his moral degeneration, a change of
heart takes place among the few surviving human beings. With gradual moral
regeneration conditions improve through a long period of cause and effect and
mankind again starts to enjoy gradually increasing prosperity and longer life.
The
world, including nature and mankind, stands or falls with the type of moral
force at work. If immorality grips society, man and nature deteriorate; if
morality reigns, the quality of human life and nature improves. Thus greed,
hatred, and delusion produce pollution within and without. Generosity,
compassion, and wisdom produce purity within and without. This is one reason
the Buddha has pronounced that the world is led by the mind, cittena niyati
loko. Thus man and nature, according to the ideas expressed in early Buddhism,
are interdependent.
