As I grew up and began studying Buddhist philosophy and teachings, I discovered great harmony between Buddhism and the environmental movement. The emphasis on biological diversity, including ecosystems — in particular, the understanding that animate and inanimate beings are parts of a whole — resonates closely with Buddhism’s emphasis on interdependence. The essence of Buddhism lies in the union of compassion and emptiness: the deeply felt dedication to alleviate the suffering of all living beings and the understanding that everything is devoid of self‐nature. These two halves of a philosophical whole speak particularly to the goals of the environmental movement.

17th Karmapa

source: https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2011.01765.x


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