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　　In one of the Buddhist sources, the relationship of a tree to human is explained as follows:

　　“the tree indeed is the bearer of the flower and the fruit… the tree gives the shade to all people who come near… the tree does not give shade differently (Milindapañhā, VI, 409 – “rukkho nāma pupphaphaladharo…rukkho upagatānamanuppaviţţhānam janānam chāyam deti…., rukkho chāyāvemattam na karoti”).

　　These characteristics of the nature show that nature treats beings impartially and it is us who need to develop mutual respect in return.

　　Human Morality

　　Man, without just trying to meet his needs, corrupts the whole natural ecosystem trying to fulfill his wants filled with greed, hatred and delusion. Maurice F. Strong in his article The United Nations and the Environment says: “In these closing decades of the twentieth century modern man is a paradox of extremes. He possesses untold knowledge and wealth, but these have brought no universal end to the indignity of poverty and ignorance. He has conquered space, but on earth he is unable to overcome conflicts and inequities. His mastery of science and technology gives him unprecedented power, but his living world is threatened as at no time since his planetary home first gave him warmth and shelter (world eco-crisis).

　　Due to the advancement of science and multi-faceted uses of technology, the living environment is faced with destructive threat challenging the healthy eco-system. Excessive urbanization and industrialization of the natural environment are immensely in danger destroying the natural environmental beauty. Vast forest areas are cleared out destroying thousands of tress. Various chemical industrial factories are coming up polluting the whole atmosphere with chemical discharge (i.e. air pollution, water pollution etc) causing various new diseases. Owing to air pollution with toxic gases daily, there is the increase of heat in the air, damaging ozone layer, melting of snow in the North Pole, arising of the sea water level, decreasing of the land area, widening of desert, decreasing pure water, destruction of wild life, disappearing of bio-persity, and increasing atomic waste in the environment.

　　Very little is being done in spite of the fact that the human demands on the Earth”s ecosystems cannot continue much longer without severe repercussions for both humans and other species. The natural resources and minerals that took billions of years to form are consumed within couple of years. I would like to quote Krishna Chaitanya, saying: “With the growth of the megalopolis and with town-planners thinking in terms of continuous conurbation extending right across continents, man is tending to forget how profoundly his life is linked with that of nature. He has stripped the hills and valleys of their mantle of green and the rivers, thus abetted in their assault on the weakened earth, are washing away the future into the sea. It is the forest cover that conserves the soil from erosion, regulates the flow of streams and purifies the air we breathe (Profile of Indian Culture, p.18).

　　According to Buddhism, mind plays the most important role in everything we decide. Thus, one should think of a mental solution before finding a physical solution for problems. From the Buddhist moral point of view, all these things happen due to fundamental insecurity and fear generated by the delusory notion of “Ego-ness” or so called “self”. Man deluded with the egoistic misconception of “self” tend to think all impermanent objects as permanent. Egoism generates the negative emotions like greed, hatred or anger and delusion (rāga, dosa, moha) making us run after the wealth for fame and power, and for sensual gratification. As long as man is motivated by these drives, he can never fe…

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