Environmental problems and Buddhist ethics : from the perspective of the consciousness-only doctrine
The Buddhist concept of Mind-Only or Consciousness-Only provides a dynamic model of mental functioning wherein everything that appears to the individual ultimately arises from the mind or, in Sanskrit, the ālayavijñāna (a technical term sometimes translated as the "storehouse consciousness" or the "mind-basis-basis-of-all"). These appearances which arise out of this mind constitute all experiences of the individual. Even though appearances are no more than mind (i.e. only mind, mind/consciousness-only), they are grasped upon as though they were substantial and external. The idea of Consciousness-Only has implications for Buddhist views of nature and the environment. The author discusses the role of the mind (specifically the ālayavijñāna) in the creation of environmental problems and its role in developing a sense of responsibility for the environment. Through the training and cultivation of the mind paired with acting according to Buddhist ethics, we can approach solutions to environmental problems at their source. (Zach Rowinski 2005-01-02)