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AN IMPLEMENTATION OF BUDDHIST ENVIRONMENTAL

ETHICS FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN CAMBODIA

Chim Phorst

Royal Universiy of Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Abstract

The subject of this research centers on the solution to environ-

mental crises that Cambodia meets today caused by rapid technological

developments. Various scientific and technological solutions are offered

by empirical sciences. Yet these solutions are not sustainable, because

new problems emerge to replace the existing ones. This paper argues that

it is only through a change of consciousness that can affect a lasting solu-

tion. Buddhism is an important resource for environmental ethics, and

Buddhist traditional environmental ethics is the most sustainable solution

for minimizing our current environmental crises.

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Prajna Vihara, Volume 13, Number 1-2, January-December, 2012, 137-144 137

 c 2000 by Assumption University Press

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Introduction

Cambodia is a small country that lies along the delta of Mekong

River in Southeast Asia with luscious forests and diverse flora and fauna.

Cambodia has a rich biodiversity. Natural resources are the mainstay of

Cambodia’s economy, but in recent years, many of Cambodia’s natural

resources have been heavily exploited.

The cultural recognition of Cambodia’s natural resources has a

long history. It can even be seen in the ancient temples of Angkor where

it was expressed in the many detailed stone carvings in the bas-reliefs. In

Khmer tradition, human life is considered as being of the same nature as

other forms of life. Thus people in Cambodia traditionally live among and

with all living things and take care of these gifts of Nature. Nature is the

mother that has nourished her children in Cambodia from times immemo-

rial. Traditionally, we Cambodians, being Buddhists, regard our relation-

ship to the environment as sacred and having ethical dimensions. But at

present we are losing these perspectives due to need and greed. This

paper is born out of the concern for this crisis.

Environmental ethics, treats the problem of how man should re-

late to the environmental crisis he is faced with today. This crisis is often

brought about by human activities. Various scientific and technological

solutions are offered by science to meet the challenge of these environ-

mental crises. But it is the conviction of this paper that these scientific

solutions are not sufficient to address this crisis; indeed they may create

new and even greater problems.

The thesis of this paper is that traditional Buddhist environmental

ethics can provide a valuable philosophical solution to our current envi-

ronmental crises.

Environmental Crisis

Modern technology is a blessing to people. It has made life more

comfortable in many ways. But technology has also caused many envi-

ronmental problems, global warming, ozone layer depletion, deforesta-

tion, and reduction in biodiversity. Many scientists consider reduction in

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biodiversity as one of the greatest challenges facing humanity today. It

affects our ecosystem and ultimately all life including human life. Every-

thing humans do has an effect on the environment.

Deforestation is one of the factors causing Global Warming __ the

increase of average temperature of the atmosphere, oceans, and land-

masses of the Earth. The main cause of this warming is thought to be the

burning of fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas, which releases

into the atmosphere carbon dioxide and other substances known as green-

house gases. As the atmosphere becomes more polluted, the earth retains

more heat as a result of the “greenhouse effect”.  As Peter Singer ex-

plains:

... The use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) threatens the

ozone layer shielding the surface of our planet from the

full force of sun’s ultraviolet radiation. Damage to that

protective shield would cause cancer rates to rise sharply

and could have other effects, for example, on the growth

of algae. The threat was especially acute to the world’s

southernmost cities, since a large hole in the ozone was

found to be open up each year over Antarctica, but in the

long term, the entire ozone shield was imperiled (Singer,

2002, pp14).

Humans require a healthy environment for their own good health.

Modern technology gives humankind many benefits. It also presents many

challenges to our environment.

Buddhist Environmental Ethics

Environmental ethics is concerned with man’s appropriate use of

this planet.  The word ethics is derived from the Greek word “ethos”

meaning “custom” and refers to attitudes and values that guide human

behavior. Ethics in the philosophical sense is the reasoned examination of

what “customs tell us about how we ought to live”. Thus environmental

ethics addresses how man ought to live in harmony with his environment.

Chim Phorst  139



The genesis of Buddhist ethics is very close to the natural world. In the

Buddhist ethical system virtue is contained in all rational beings.

Sahni mentions that,

Buddhism’s understanding of nature is innately cosmo-

logical and it is only in this sense that nature can be recog-

nized in Buddhist thought. (Sahni, P., 2008 pp164)

The practices of Buddhism for solving environmental crises are in

direct conformity with the concern of Buddhism to alleviate the suffering

of all sentient beings. Human life and other forms of life are regarded as

being of the same matter. This means that developing ethical norms and

plans of action based on Buddhist practices leads to solving environmen-

tal problems.

The Buddhist Perspective on Sustainability

In the Buddhist tradition, a householder should accumulate wealth

as a bee collects pollen from a flower. The bee harms neither the beauty

nor the fragrance of the flower, but gathers pollen to turn it into sweet

honey. Similarly, human beings should take resources from nature with-

out damaging the environment. As the Dhammapada suggests,

As a bee without harming the flower, its color

or scent, flies away, collecting only the honey,

even so should the sage wander in the village.

A natural resource is something that exists in nature and is of

value to human life. Water, forests, minerals and plants are all examples

of natural resources. Natural resources are often renewable. Fish and trees,

for example, will continue to be produced by nature so long as we use

these resources in a sustainable way.

Many of the environmental problems we are experiencing around

the world are caused by the destructive human use of the earth’s resources.

The resources are placed under increasing pressure to provide for the

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industrial and urban needs of the consumer society. Resources are judged

solely by their economic worth rather than their life-support capacity.

The very first teaching for those entering monkhood is the “Four

Habitual Practices”. These are: to wander around for alms; to wear simple,

used clothes; to live at the bases of trees; and to use natural medicines.

They demonstrate the Buddha’s intentions for monks to live simply, eco-

nomically, and in harmony with nature.

These four principles serve as a reminder that man must depend

on nature for many of his needs including food, clothing and shelter. This

contrasts greatly with the concepts of materialism and consumerism, which

follow often lead to excess and the notion of satisfying one’s desires with

no sense of limits.

The Buddhist Perspective on Forest

It is well-known that the Buddha had a special preference for

forest dwellings. His entire life involved around trees and forests. For

example,

. He was born under a tree,

. He attained his Enlightenment under a tree

. He passed away under a tree.
The Buddha considered the planting of trees and the preservation

of forest groves as important meritorious acts, which provided the addi-

tional benefits of the purifying the mind and the eliminating of cravings.

Buddhist monasteries accept the plant world as edifying and even

conducive to the purification of mind. It is no coincidence that many

Buddhist monasteries are found in forests or in the best maintained plant

environments. Buddhism, as a rule, adopts a gentle and grateful attitude

towards the plant kingdom.

The presence of Buddhist forest monastery has helped protect

these areas of forest over the centuries. More recently in Cambodia, monks

have begun to ‘ordinate’ trees in order to highlight the sanctity of trees

and protect them against logging. This was done around Cambodia dur-

Chim Phorst  141



ing a peak of logging and in response to the development of a large plan-

tation.

Buddhist monks “ordain” trees by wrapping a saffron robe around

the trunks to signify the sacredness of all trees. The abbot of Wat Samrong

in northern Cambodia is generally credited with being the first to adopt

the ordination ritual to sanctify trees. He developed the ritual as a means

of educating people about the environmental importance of the forest

and the dangers of logging.

Rituals such as tree ordination can serve as a focal point to em-

phasize the urgency of preserving natural resources, and as a way of teach-

ing about the inter-relationships between Buddhism, nature, and the envi-

ronment as a whole.

The Buddhist Perspectives on Animal Rights

Animals were an important part in the Buddha’s conception of

the universe. The Buddhist concept of rights extends from the human

world to the animal kingdom. Thus, the Buddha was the first to speak of

animal rights.

The famous dictum “May all beings be well and happy” in the

Metta Sutta covers not only human beings, but all sentient beings, includ-

ing animals. “May all those who are inflicted with pain be relieved. May

all beings inflicted with fear be relieved”. Here too “all beings” includes

all sentient beings including animals.

Findings

Environmental changes have been taking place in our planet from

time immemorial. What is particular to our times is that human activity is

destroying the ecosystem at an unprecedented manner and ever acceler-

ating rate.

We need address the current environmental crisis in a rational

manner so as to protect the health and lives of current and future genera-

tions.

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Cambodians have been living with nature from the beginning of

time in ways that are supported by Buddhist beliefs. But due to pressures

created by growing population and increasing greed, we have begun en-

croaching on Mother Nature to such an extent that we are destroying her.

This paper should be an eye-opener to all Cambodians to return to their

traditional Buddhist values and respect nature by living in harmony with

it. Cambodian developmental plans must concern themselves with ways

that protect and sustain the environment. We must turn away from devel-

opment which is destructive to Cambodia and ultimately to the planet.

Hopefully, this paper is just a beginning for the reader to seriously

consider what needs to be done to protect and keep the balance of our

planet’s ecosystem. This paper also is an effort to encourage the reader to

take personal action to help restore the integrity of our planet’s environ-

mental systems and thus secure the humankinds future. I hope to per-

suade you to dedicate at least 5-10% of your times and resources to the

solution of these looming crises.

Conclusion

In this paper the writer has applied some aspects of Buddhist eth-

ics to specific environmental problems. In many cases Buddhism advo-

cates living at peace with nature. Many aspects of this Buddhist philoso-

phy are the same to the ethics advocated by the “nonanthropocentrism”

of such Western philosophers, as Peter Singer.

This paper concludes that the application of traditional Buddhist

beliefs in Cambodia provides valuable guidance for an solving our planet’s

current environmental crises.

References

Carl, M. & Mak, S. (2006). Environmental Ethics: Course Notes.  RUPP:

Phnom Penh.

Singer, P. (2002). One World: The Ethics of Globalization.  Yale Univer-

sity Press: London.

Chim Phorst  143



Sahni, P,. (2008) Environmental Ethics in Buddhism: A virtues approach.

Routlege: London.

Buddhist Institute (1998). Toward an environmental ethic in Southeast

Asia: Proceedings of a regional Seminar. Phnom Penh, Cambo-

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Encyclopedia Encarta Student CD ROM (2009) ‘Buddhism’.

Henning, D.H. (2002). Buddhism and Deep Ecology. Bloomington, USA.

Henning, D.H. (2002). Buddhism and Deep Ecology for the protection

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