‘BSG for SDG’ Sustainable Newsletter | Issue 2 | November 2021

Climate change, or as we have learnt, ‘climate emergency’ is an urgent crisis impacting all, and hence calls for “unseen solidarity and action” in terms of response. SGI President Daisaku Ikeda highlights 3 key commitments that would be essential to forge such solidarity in his 2020 Peace Proposal.

1. Leave No One Behind: President Ikeda says, “When discussing the impacts of climate change, there is a tendency to focus on the scale of economic loss and other quantifiable indicators. But I think it is important that we attend to the suffering of the many individuals that these macroeconomic indices might obscure, and make this central to our efforts to come together in search of solutions.”
While climate change will impact all of us, there are certain sections of society that will be most vulnerable to its immediate impacts and stand to lose their homes and livelihoods, such as fishing communities in coastal areas where sea levels are already beginning to rise or smallholder farmers exposed to floods or droughts. When reflecting on how to respond to the climate crisis, President Ikeda urges us “never to abandon those who find themselves in dire circumstances.” (ibid.) Let’s consciously think of solutions on climate action that benefit humanity as a whole, leaving no-one behind.

2. The Challenge of Construction: President Ikeda highlights that in the context of climate change, we can avoid “falling prey to either an egocentric indifference to problems that don’t directly affect us or a pessimistic paralysis in the face of problems that seem too overwhelming” (ibid.) by taking the third path forward, and that is to engage in the challenge of construction. The crisis of climate change can be turned into an opportunity, if instead of succumbing to the current reality that can make the chances of transformation hopeless, we are able to create a clear vision for the future and work towards it in solidarity. For instance, can we envision our cities safe for commuting in bicycles or a world where burning of fossil fuels has stopped and renewable energy has become the norm? The time for action to engage in the challenge of construction is nowhere in the future but in the now, and every small action to reduce our carbon footprint counts, because when such actions are repeated several times by several people, they can indeed make a difference.

3. Youth-Led Climate Action: President Ikeda highlights that when the outrage that young people feel towards insufficient action on the climate crisis is married with the indomitable optimism of youth, it can unleash powerful possibilities to transform the reality. President Ikeda urges everyone to listen to the concerns and views of the youth about the future of our world, and also calls upon youth to stand up as the climate change-makers to transform the current of the times. He says, “The path of resolving the problem of climate change will not be smooth or easy. However, I am deeply confident that as long as there is solidarity among youth, there is no impasse we cannot surmount.” (ibid.) Human beings are responsible for the crisis of climate change, and the solutions to address this challenge also lie within us. The climate is changing, and so should we! Let’s act now!

Let’s understand a little more about how we as ordinary individuals can support our environment and prevent climate change. The following are excerpts from a dialogue between Youth members of Soka Gakkai and SGI President Daisaku Ikeda:

Youth: We are facing an environmental crisis on a global level, and it is a fundamental problem that concerns all humanity.

President Ikeda: Yes, it is. Buddhism explains life in a system of 10 stages, or states of being. (They are the states of Hell, Hunger, Animality, Anger, Humanity, Rapture, Learning, Realisation, Bodhisattva and Buddhahood.) The state of Humanity is right in the middle, with nobler states of life above and uglier states below. Those states below are unnatural states of being, states of being that oppose nature. The four stages above Humanity all value nature and strive to create a paradise where its beauty flourishes in abundance.

The question is, will we allow ourselves to be dragged down to the lower states, or will we advance into the higher states of life? Only intelligence, culture and religious faith can lead us out of the state of Animality that consumes nature thoughtlessly, leaving a barren wasteland. Because of the oneness of life and its environment, a barren, destructive mind produces a barren and devastated natural environment. The desertification of our planet is linked to the desertification of the human spirit.

Youth: Environmental destruction is going on in our immediate surroundings as well. Where I live, the green hills and empty lots are all being “developed” into apartments and other buildings. There is no place you can even walk your dog without a leash, and it feels extremely cramped and binding. Is it alright to destroy nature in the name of development?

President Ikeda: The destruction of nature is the destruction of humanity. Nature is our home. All life on this planet, including human life, was born from the natural environment. We don’t owe our existence to machines or to science. We are the products of nature. Life on this planet was not artificially created… the farther we alienate ourselves from nature, the more unbalanced we become. Our future as a species will be grim unless we recognise this fact. The 18th century French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-78) called for a return to nature. Civilisation even in his time had become too mechanical, too reliant on science, gave too much priority to profit, distorting human life into an ugly thing. It was this unfortunate development that Rousseau protested. Second Soka Gakkai president Josei Toda used to tell young people to walk barefoot and plant trees. He was trying to teach them to make sure their lives were rooted in the natural world. Indeed, we all want to be healthy. For that reason, we want to breathe clean air, to see beautiful flowers and greenery. We turn to nature for this, just as a sunflower turns its face to the sun. We must recognise that any action that transgresses or negates this inclination is a terrible mistake. All the money in the world won’t buy the blue sky; the sun and the breeze belong to everyone. Human beings have the ability to either destroy nature or live in harmony with it. We must never forget that we are a part of nature.

Youth: It is certainly true that our lives today are far more convenient than they once were. We can buy almost everything we need. We can get something to eat anytime we like, day or night. We have access to such a variety of goods that our biggest problem is choosing what we want. But we seem to be destroying the environment and ourselves for the sake of that convenience… It seems to me that something is fundamentally wrong with the path the human race has taken.

President Ikeda: No one is denying that science has improved our lives. Thanks to science we can use electricity instead of relying on just oil lamps and candles. But what we need to do is match the progress of science with progress in our commitment to preserving and protecting our environment. We need to find a balance.

Youth: It’s important to have a philosophy that recognises that everything in the universe is living and sacred.

President Ikeda: We are dependent on the Earth, not the other way around. In our arrogance, we have flagrantly overlooked this fact… The essential teaching of Buddhism is that the life of the Buddha resides in every plant and tree, even in the smallest mote of dust… Science ought to be committed to the welfare of humanity based on induction, reasoning derived from the concrete facts of life. Everything must begin from such purpose.

The Gaia hypothesis, that the Earth itself is a living thing, is well known. Dr James Lovelock, who first formulated this idea, wrote: “Strangely, the view [Gaia theory] is not inconsistent with the human values of kindness and compassion.” (James Lovelock, The Ages of Gaia: A Biography of Our Living Earth (New York and London: W. W. Norton & Company, 1988), 236)

Youth: I think that if one were to possess such kindness, one would find it impossible to litter.

President Ikeda: Only someone who lives in the selfish state of Animality could throw trash or aluminium cans by the road. This is an egoism that cares nothing for others; it is an unnatural way to live. A person who loves nature is simply unable to litter. Tossing one’s trash away carelessly is to toss away one’s humanity.

By the same token, one who loves nature is able to cherish other human beings, values peace and possesses a richness of character unfettered by selfish calculations of personal gain and loss. Those who live in a calculating way, on the other hand, will end up calculating their own worth in the same manner. Such a life is extremely limited. Nature, however, is infinite. Though it may seem beneficial to keep track of personal gain and loss, from nature’s broader viewpoint, this is actually a poor and miserable existence. From that perspective, such people only hurt themselves.

Youth: I think that because technology has advanced to the extent it has, it’s more important now than ever for each person to develop an awareness of environmental protection.

President Ikeda: As science advances, it is only natural that we should become involved in many different endeavours to preserve the environment. Each of us, as individuals, must make an effort — not to be selfish, and to save energy, for example. We must work to take better care of our environment. Any apparent material improvements in our life are no more than an illusion unless we enhance the fundamental quality of our life.