Statement on Climate Change from the Institute of Buddhist Studies
Last month the Institute of Buddhist Studies released a statement on Climate Change from a Buddhist perspective.
The statement, signed by the IBS Dean and President, reads in part,
The human-created climate crisis that we are facing is brought on and worsened by the three poisons of greed, hostility, and ignorance. The purposeful assertion of our values as Buddhists is imperative. We believe that an understanding and purposeful application of the Mahayana insight into the interconnected causality of all things is vital. This insight makes us aware that the current climate crisis has been driven by our use of fossil fuels, unsustainable consumption patterns, and thoughtless destruction of systems that support all life.
Moreover, our practice as Buddhists brings about a recognition of the profound consequences of our behavior on future generations. Our greed, hostility, and ignorance on individual, national, and international levels make us complicit in the destruction of our environment. We acknowledge our responsibility to respond individually and institutionally to an ever-worsening human-made climate emergency that threatens life.
The statement concludes
As Buddhists we understand that awakened minds can unfold in this world as compassionate action. The climate crisis calls upon us to open our spiritual and worldly eyes and embody that awakening in our actions.