protecting the natural environment

1. Protecting the Spiritual Environment Protecting the spiritual environment means keeping our mind stable and pure. Pollution in the environment is mostly man-made and human behavior is dependent on human mind. If we practice spiritual environmentalism with sincerity, humility, and loving-kindness, if everyday we clear our mind of unwholesome thoughts, we would lift the character of humanity and live in a pure land. Practices Chan Meditation The Fivefold Spiritual Renaissance Campaign 2. Protecting the Natural Environment Protecting the natural environment means maintaining the co-existence and co-prosperity of the whole earth community.  From the Buddhist point of view, the natural environment everywhere is the home village to sentient beings, and everything in the environment is needed for the livelihood of some sentient being or other. The whole earth is the common resource that current and future generations rely and subsist on. The faster we deplete earth's resources the sooner we destroy it. We therefore call on everyone to cherish our blessings, protect and sustain the earth's water and natural resources by careful usage, nonpolluting and not wasting. Practices Recognizing blessings Cherishing blessings Nurturing blessings Sowing the seeds of blessings 3. Protecting the Living Environment Protecting the living environment means keeping our life orderly and simple. Our needs are little; our wants are great. Take only what we need, and what we want is unimportant. In our daily life, cultivate the habits of contentment and few desires, diligence, leanness, and tidiness. Do not waste energy and resources and minimize the generation of garbage and pollutants. Practices Our wants are many Our needs are few Pursue only what you can and should acquire Never pursue what you can't and shouldn't acquire 4. Protecting the Social Environment Protecting the social environment means being dignified an