Sustainable development: Transform Self to Heal the Earth  

By Daisaku Ikeda  

Sustainable development: Transform Self to Heal the Earth  

Today, the 32nd anniversary of Earth Day, is an occasion for each of us to recall and express appreciation for our limitless blessings, foremost of which is life, that are nature's and the Earth's gift to us. It is also a time to remember how far we have to go, how much work lies ahead of us, before we can truly "celebrate" Earth Day, something that the present state of the global ecosystem makes difficult, if not impossible.

In August this year, representatives from around the world will gather in Johannesburg, South Africa, for the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD). The WSSD represents a crucial opportunity for the people of the world. To fulfil its promise, the Summit must bring about a transformation in behaviour equal to the revolution in awareness created by the Rio Earth Summit a decade ago.

The participants are called upon to muster a strong, new determination, to offer new proposals and ideas unconstrained by previous thinking to make the conference the point of departure for decisive action for the future.

But the people of the world cannot wait passively for their governments to act. Throughout the world, grassroots movements are springing up, promoting the use of appropriate technologies and exploring new paths towards sustainable development.

The vitality and creativity of India's civil society movements, active not only in urban centres, but in many of her million villages, are a beacon of hope and inspiration for people everywhere. Around the world, courageous individuals are demonstrating the power of a single committed person to have a positive impact.

It has become clear that lack of progress on the interlinked issues of environmental destruction and poverty is not due to lack of knowledge, technology, or even funds. It is fundamentally due to a lack of motivation and compassion, not only for other human beings and for future generations, but for all life.

In this sense a shift in values and ethics is vital and so it is hoped that the WSSD will endorse or at least acknowledge the Earth Charter, a standard of ethical principles to guide development towards sustainability. This Charter was developed through a process of global grassroots dialogue and thus represents the collective will and wisdom of the people of the world.

In the search for sustainable development, nothing is more crucial than the hearts and minds of people. As a Buddhist, I believe that a change of heart in a single individual can have a profoundly transforming impact on society. In this regard, I draw consistent inspiration from the example of the Indian emperor Ashoka.

As is well known, it was intense revulsion and remorse at the bloodshed and slaughter of his conquest of a neighbouring state that sparked Ashoka's inner transformation. He realised that victory through physical force marks the defeat of the human spirit. He saw that true victory is found not in conquest by force, but by dharma, a word that I believe can perhaps best be understood as the true path of humanity, genuine humanism.

Ashoka engaged in creative peace diplomacy, sending emissaries to Syria, Egypt and Macedonia. Although he had embraced the Buddhist faith, he respected all spiritual traditions and guaranteed religious liberty. He established a cell for women to respond to their needs and requests. He built medical facilities not only for people but for animals too. He encouraged the cultivation of medicinal herbs and the planting of trees. In all these ways, he exercised leadership for what we would today call "human rights and sustainable development".

As a political leader, Ashoka demonstrated the power of enlightened policy choices. But even more moving is the depth and intensity of his inner, personal transformation. The bloodstained tyrant became a monarch of humanity and peace. What Buddhism refers to as the "three poisons" - greed, anger and ignorance - were transmuted into the virtues of wisdom and compassion.

Earth Day in these critical times is, more than anything, a time for each of us to commit ourselves to a similar transformation. It is a time for each of us to renew faith in our ability to have a positive impact. By transforming our core values, by renewing the human spirit in its very depths, we can put human civilisation on the path to a sustainable future. We can move towards the time when Earth Day will be a joyous global celebration of diversity and coexistence among humans and between humanity and all life on Earth.

(The author is president, Soka Gakkai International)

.

.

More from same author see: Daisaku Ikeda  

See also: Sustainable development, Faith and Belief, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)