Buddhist ideas can help construct a sustainability framework for communities. Looking at Thailand, we can translate the key ideas seen there to fit a more secular context.
By 3rd-year student Tytus Suchotinunt
The traditional way of thinking about sustainability is through various formal institutional efforts, which generally have the ability to enforce rules and regulations. UVA’s 2020-2030 Sustainability Plan is one such formal institutional effort aimed at making UVA more sustainable. However, more informal institutions can also play a significant role in developing a sustainability framework. Informal institutions are usually unwritten norms that are enforced outside of officially sanctioned entities. There is usually no legal enforcement of an informal institution’s agenda. For example, religion can help foster a sustainability mindset.
Buddhism is great for constructing a community's sustainability framework as it already influences people’s mindsets, moral principles, and day-to-day economic activity. Theravada Buddhism, the primary school practiced in Thailand, can contribute to developing a sustainability framework. One of the key philosophies in Theravada Buddhism is that no entity is free from others and that all individuals are interconnected and interdependent. The idea of interconnectedness has helped lay the foundation for the recognition of linkages between the economy, society, and the environment.
Influenced by the idea of interconnectedness, system thinking is inherent in Buddhism and therefore Thailand’s sustainability framework. Thai society has a distinct worldview with three main elements undergirding its sustainability framework: moderation, reasonableness, and self-immunity.
Moderation
In lay communities throughout Thailand, people practice meditation methods to try to reduce one’s desires, self-interest, and overindulgence. This then leads to the appropriate amount of consumption and satisfaction. Such moderation is also enforced by the moral norm, which is a culturally informed social structure, surrounding such communities. Moral norms influence one’s mindset and perception of the world and inform individuals of concepts such as “right or wrong.” While the moral norm is not a legal enforcement method, it is a normative structure for people to rightfully abide by.
Growing up in a Buddhist household, my family was always conscious of our consumption, including the food we bought, the electricity we used, and the restrained usage of the AC and heater. The norms within my family are something my parents would never consider a sustainable practice as they were simply being mindful of our consumption. Translating these ideas of moderation outside the context of Buddhism helps individuals avoid overindulgence, which reduces the egoistic tendency to over-exploit public resources. Being moderate is therefore key when constructing a sustainability framework.
Reasonableness
Buddhist thinking places awareness on system thinking. The actions one commits can influence even invisible entities and cyclically return to that individual over time. This cyclical thinking is often referred to as Karma. In other words, one’s overindulgence can lead to others’ suffering and the suffering of oneself through a cyclical mechanism.
The temple I attended growing up had a small forest and pond on the land. The care that went into nurturing and protecting these areas of nature went beyond simple care for the environment. The community was aware of their connection to the land and therefore respected and tended to it knowing that one day the care they gave the land would someday come back to them. This connection to the environment and the natural processes surrounding us are often unseen; therefore, we rarely see the consequences of our actions. System thinking can lead individuals to be more reasonable when extracting natural resources or producing waste. Being aware of the invisible consequences of our actions is pivotal when attempting to live sustainably and construct a sustainability framework
Self-immunity
Self-immunity is the capability for individuals and groups to protect themselves from external disturbances. This includes the ability for individuals to recover from setbacks. This concept is related to mindfulness. Mindful individuals are more easily able to identify abnormal environmental changes and thus seek out ways to become resilient
My childhood temple has recently come under scrutiny due to controversy regarding the misuse of temple funds. You can read more about the problem here. Essentially, the lay community has been barred from entering the temple due to the head monks sending no-trespass orders for unknown reasons. However, the resilience of the lay community transcends setbacks even from the head monks. With no place to worship, my family and the community have come together and hosted events such as Thai/Laos New Year without the aid of the temple.
The ability to acknowledge disruptions and feel empowered to adjust when needed is the essence of self-immunity. This concept is seen in the planning and execution of UVA’s 2020-2030 Sustainability Plan in order to fulfill UVA’s commitment to helping make the world a better place, as well as to preserve the natural beauty of Grounds. Self-immunity is therefore pivotal in sustainability frameworks to empower communities toward action.
Looking at the main concepts helping build Thailand’s sustainability framework, it is obvious that these ideas can be applied to each and every aspect of our daily lives as well. Whether you are a practicing Buddhist or not, incorporating the ideas of moderation, reasonableness, and self-immunity into our daily lives and community can aid in our fight against climate change.
It needs to be acknowledged that everything talked about in this article is surface-level and barely penetrates the complexity of the connections between sustainability and religion. One of UVA’s 2030 Sustainability Plan Goals includes enhancing sustainability teaching, curricular development, and experiential learning. At UVA, there are many classes that you can take to learn more about this topic. The courses and descriptions listed below are taken from Lou’s List and may not be up to date. Nonetheless, take the time to read the course descriptions and consider taking one of these classes to learn more.
- RELG 2210 Religion, Ethics, and Global Environment: This course interprets humanity's changing ecological relationships through religious and philosophical traditions. It takes up ethical questions presented by environmental problems, introduces frameworks for making sense of them, and examines the symbols and narratives that shape imaginations of nature.
- RELG 3416 Sustainability and Asceticism: To what extent does the pursuit of sustainability require restraining or retraining our desires? How can people be encouraged to consume less, or in less destructive ways, when cultures of consumption prove resistant to change? This seminar will explore these questions from the perspective of South Asian traditions (Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain). We will consider classical sources as well as contemporary debates about sustainable development.
- GDS 3113 A Buddhist Approach to Development: Buddhism takes an ethical and practical view of how individuals and societies can develop toward greater equity, sustainability, and satisfaction. This course will investigate, from a Buddhist perspective and practicing Vipassana meditation, the state of development in the developed and developing world, in Buddhist and Western societies, with emphasis on the role of the individual, personal choice, and personal growth.
Lastly, these two articles go more in-depth regarding Thailand and sustainability.
Tytus Suchotinunt (he/him) is a 3rd-year student at UVA studying Global Environments and Sustainability. He is part of the Service Learning team at UVA’s Office for Sustainability.