Karmapa – The Official Website of the 17th Karmapa Karmapa – The Official Website of the 17th Karmapa Karmapa – The Official Website of the 17th Karmapa Karmapa – The Official Website of the 17th Karmapa
  • The Karmapa
    • A Short Biography
    • The Lineage of Karmapas
    • Activities & Projects
  • Teachings
    • YouTube Archive
    • Video Library
    • Podcast
  • News
  • Schedule
  • Buddhism
    • Shakyamuni Buddha
    • Buddhism in India
    • Buddhism in Tibet
    • Kagyu Lineage
    • The Golden Rosary
  • Centers
    • North America
    • Europe
    • Asia
    • Oceania
    • Africa
    • South America
  • Office
    • Media
    • Contact
Karmapa – The Official Website of the 17th Karmapa Karmapa – The Official Website of the 17th Karmapa
  • The Karmapa
    • A Short Biography
    • The Lineage of Karmapas
    • Activities & Projects
  • Teachings
    • YouTube Archive
    • Video Library
    • Podcast
  • News
  • Schedule
  • Buddhism
    • Shakyamuni Buddha
    • Buddhism in India
    • Buddhism in Tibet
    • Kagyu Lineage
    • The Golden Rosary
  • Centers
    • North America
    • Europe
    • Asia
    • Oceania
    • Africa
    • South America
  • Office
    • Media
    • Contact
  • English
  • France
  • Germany
  • Spain
  • Italy
  • Canada
  • United Kingdom
  • Australia
  • Poland
Oct 05

Forestry Conservation Preservation by World Wildlife Fund of India

Environmental Conference Day Three: Monday 5th October, 2009 

Forest Conservation

Sanjeep Pradhan, from World Wildlife Fund India, gave a lively presentation on forestry conservation.

He began by explaining the importance of forests and plants and the critical role they play in supporting not just human life but a vast biodiversity and controlling levels of carbon dioxide and oxygen. However, forests were under threat and already rising temperatures globally showed the devastating effect of this.

Rising temperatures meant glaciers – an important source of drinking water -were melting and disappearing, whereas on the plains there were floods. Weather systems had become unpredictable, so whereas some places suffered from hurricanes, others had drought, which led to famine.

The responsibilty to protect the environment lay with everyone; be pro-active:

  • plant trees
  • use renewable energy such as bio gas
  • encourage apiculture (bees)
  • start vermi-composting (using worms)
  • reduce, re-use and recycle

Sanjeep  then discussed the factors which were necessary for successful regeneration of forest and tree plantation:

  •     site selection
  •     choice of appropriate indigenous species
  •     indigenous species should be given priority
  •     consider the purpose the trees will be used for
  •     discuss the planting in the community, especially with the women
  •     clearing and preparing the land
  •     how to plant
  •     caring for seedlings

 

Creating Natural Beauty – the experience of Phulahari Monastery

Khenpo Choekyi Gyaltsen described activities at Phulahari Monastery in Nepal.

The monastery was built in an area of millet and corn fields. In 1993 they set up a project to landscape the area around the temple, and began planting in 1994. The inspiration for the work came from and continues to come from the spiritual masters of the Kagyu lineage. The original aim was to beautify the temple surroundings but, as the monks learned more about environmental issues,  the aim became one of environmental protection.

 

Their knowledge of gardening was gleaned from experience as they worked. Many of the first plants were too fragile or were eaten, so they set up a nursery to nurture young plants and saplings, and  through experience they discovered which plants would grow and which wouldn’t, how to protect and care for them, and how to achieve a balance, for example, between those with summer foliage and evergreens.

Initially, it took about fourteen years to establish the gardens,  but the monastery has continued to plant, replant and maintain them.

 

 

Restoring Spring Water Sources

A local ecologist, Arvind Sharma, from the Himalayan Nature Society, gave a presentation.

He pointed out that until  a problem arose,  people never gave a thought about where the water came from. The HNS was working to restore natural spring sources in the Dharamsala area, with financial support from the British High Commission, so that villagers were no longer dependent on the infrequent municipal water supply. It  ensured that the area around the  water supply  was cleaned up and checked water purity.

 

Water Conservation in Action- Rumtek Monastery

Lama Gyaltsen Sonam gave a presentation of how they restored the water source of Rumtek Monastery and implemented the 108 guidelines to protect the environment with local school childrens.

 

Field  Trip to Dolma Ling Nunnery

The final event of the day was also the most surprising because it encapsulated so many of the environmentally sound practices that the delegates had been hearing about.

There were bins for collecting paper and cardboard for recycling. Manure from the nunnery herd was left to decompose and then used as fertiliser on the gardens and fields. Vegetable waste was collected and composted. The nunnery took water from a local river, collected it in a pond, and then filtered  it to provide drinking water so they had an independent water supply.

Hot water in the kitchen was  provided by solar power

There was a new bathhouse, where the water was heated by solar panels built into the roof, and the wastewater from the bathhouse was filtered and then used to water the gardens.

There was also a small paper recycling workshop where old newspapers and other old paper were reduced to pulp and turned into paper once more, This paper was  then turned into greetings cards which could be sold to generate income.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • E-Mail

Related Posts

[ long read ]

MIND TRAINING TEACHING
The Gyalwang Karmapa gave an extensive teaching on the 8 Verses of Training the Mind

[ video series ]

THE PRAJNAPARAMITA
Taught over six sessions, this is a direct explanation of the Buddhist view of emptiness

[ long read ]

THE CHENREZIK PRACTICE
The Gyalwang Karmapa taught on how to practice Chenrezik and recite his mantra

[ video series ]

100 SHORT INSTRUCTIONS
Taught over nine sessions, this text by the 8th Karmapa was taught in great depth by the present Karmapa.

[ long read ]

THREE PRINCIPLE ASPECTS
A comprehensive teaching that condenses the entire Buddhist path by Tsongkhapa

 

Recent Updates

  • Approaches to Understanding the Thirty Verses of the Mind Only
  • The Inauguration of the 23rd Kagyu Gunchoe
  • The Essence of Glory: A Shakyamuni Puja in the Kadampa Style
  • The Gyalwang Karmapa’s Closing Remarks to the Mar Ngok Summer Teachings
  • Differing Perspectives on the First Council and the Compilation of the Tripiṭaka
  • Upāli – the Foremost in the Vinaya and Contemporary Analyses of the First Council  
  • Ananda’s Offenses, Arhatship, and Recitation of the Sūtras

Kagyu Office Around the World

中文 // Français // Polski // Español
The Karmapa’s website is carbon neutral. //

About the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa

His Holiness the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, is the head of the 900 year old Karma Kagyu Lineage and guide to millions of Buddhists around the world.

Born in 1985, the Karmapa resides in his temporary home at Gyuto Monastery in India after making a dramatic escape from Tibet in the year 2000.

Traveling the world, the Karmapa skillfully teaches traditional Tibetan Buddhist Dharma while also advocating topics such as environmental conservation, feminism, digitization of the Dharma, and much more.

Please use the icons below to find the Karmapa on social media maintained by his office of administration.

// // // //

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Please view our Privacy Policy. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT
Powered by CookieYes Logo