Living in Harmony with Nature
Editor’s Note:
Ven Guo Xiang grew up on a farm in the company of insects and animals. In recent years, she went into farming and devoted herself to promoting natural farming. During her farming practice, she came to understand the real meaning of the Buddhist saying that “everything is dependent origination, namely, causally interconnected; everything co-exists and prospers in harmony”.
I was born in the rural area and nature had always been part of my life. I saw a lot of insects: shield bugs, frogs, grasshoppers, Chinese Bamboo Partridge; and a lot of herbs, wild flowers and wild berries. I enjoyed them all.
Seeing Nature up close
During my stay at Nung Chan Monastery, I started to watch insects up close. There were lots of wax apple trees along the periphery of Nung Chan Monastery. When they went into bloom, lots of wild bees came to gather pollen. The bees were not afraid of humans. The way they collect pollen was very lovely to watch. After picking up the pollen, the bees used their front legs to pack it into a tiny ball and then pushed it onto their rear legs. The pollen ball got bigger as they moved from flower to flower. When they were done, there was one big pollen ball on each of their rear legs.
When I had the opportunity to visit farms all over Taiwan later on, I found that some farms in Taitung managed to keep their rich biodiversity. There were lots of colorful and lively insects: spiders, bees, damselflies, dragon flies, butterflies and moths. At the farms, humans do not bother insects, and the insects are not threatened by humans. One could get really close to the insects. When I’m around them, I feel a sense of harmony and interconnectedness.
I used to be scared of snakes when I was small, but not anymore. I guess I’m used to them now. One of our DDM followers was very afraid of snakes. But when he saw a snake playing by itself under a White Champak tree, he realized that snakes can be cute too. And he overcame his fear of snakes. I once saw a Taiwan Habu (Protobothrops mucrosquamatus) along the ditch outside the main Buddha Hall of Xin Xing Monastery. Though we were in close proximity to each other, we went about our own businesses. Once in a while it would look at me, and I looked at it. We were both safe!
When the wild animals like poisonous snakes or hornets come into our neighborhood, they would normally be quite restrained, because they are aware that it is not their territory. Similarly, when humans venture into the wilderness, we should be cautious of the wildlife there.
Farming as a form of offering
In recent years, I started farming along the hillside of Beitou. It was a newly cultivated area, and the natural environment was relatively preserved. There I saw small creatures I hadn’t seen before: shield bugs that looked like strawberries, grasshoppers with an "A" on the back of their heads; orchid-like mantis; and flies in all kinds of shapes, sizes and colors. The number of varieties was beyond my imagination.
The one benefit of farming at Beitou is that you get a lot of help from all the living creatures there. With the whole universe participating in the daily farm work, the crops there carry blessings from heaven and earth, and the farm workers appear to be making offerings to the whole universe. That piece of land takes care of not only human beings but also the entire eco system.
One thing I particularly enjoy is when corn is in full bloom. The area would become very lively, with lots of wild bees coming and going. Bees are very hardworking creatures. They are not deterred by the strong winds that sway the cornstalks constantly. They have a very strong will despite their small body. I once read that bees would visit each flower up to two hundred times! I am impressed by the hard-working bees, and the team work of ants. The ants’ team spirit and co-ordination give me new insights.
All sentient beings have Buddha nature
One time I opened a bookcase and startled a tiny ant. He jumped out very quickly and hid inside the track underneath the closet door. It was eye-opening to see a tiny ant could be so agile and precise. I believe when an ant's life is threatened, its instinct of self-defense is exactly the same as that of humans. This is a manifestation of innate spirituality in living creatures.
Buddha said that all sentient beings have Buddha nature. In samsara, humans could have been ants in the past, and ants can someday become humans, or possibly wise men if they practice dharma. The sutras recorded that some animals, such as the nine-colored deer and the monkey king, are very compassionate and wise. They would sacrifice themselves for the survival of their group or clan. Some humans couldn’t even do that.
Buddhism in Nature
Nature functions in a subtle way. When human interference and destruction can be minimized, living creatures of all types can work together. Recently I visited some farms in Shikoku, Japan. Along the hillside of Masanobu Fukuoka’s farm, I saw a group of wild boars with beautiful spots on their coats. They looked just like the Formosan sika deer. At another farm, I saw some Chinese Giant Salamanders in the rice paddies. These could only be found in remote mountains of Taiwan.
My exposure to nature and farming led me to a deeper understanding of Buddhism. The Buddhist concept of ‘dependent origination’, explains that everything is interconnected. The micro-organisms, living things in the soil, in the waters, and on the ground: insects, birds, animals and human beings, all affect each other. Every specie is related to all other species just like they are all linked together and every link is important. Everything is cause and effect for everything. Buddhism says “one in all and all in one"; “Mt. Sumeru holds a mustard seed and a mustard seed can also hold Mt. Sumeru." We should take care of all species, value them, respect them and do not harm them or ignore them. By applying the Buddhist philosophies, we can contribute to an interdependent relationship, one in which we can co-exist and prosper together.
In dealing with agricultural, environmental and ecological issues, we need a sound philosophical framework to guide us that can be useful in influencing others, and in overcoming adversities. I believe Buddhist philosophy would be that framework, guiding us to satisfactory resolution of the problems that continuously arise in agriculture, ecology and the environment.
Texts: Interview Ven. Guo Xiang Fashi by Hsu, Tsui Ku (許翠谷) from Dharma Drum Monthly (法鼓雜誌)
Translation: John Wu (吳俊宏)
Editor: Christine Huang (Canada), Agnes Chan (Canada)