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52 EASTERN HORIZON | FEATURE

Historically, bodhisattvas have been
invoked to help people in times of
extreme need (such as a storm at
sea), and intervening for the good of
the environment updates their role
for contemporary times.

In this case Buddhism is central
to the story, and cleaning polluted
spaces becomes a metaphor for
spiritual purification. The reader
looks to a bodhisattva or Buddha as
guide, and is inspired to take action.

Caring for the environment
A 77-year-old volunteer working at a recycling center run by a nonprofit Buddhist organization
in Taipei, Taiwan But in other cases, Buddhist
organizations do not use figures
like bodhisattvas to teach about
As a scholar of Chinese Buddhism, I Great Battle against the Trash environmentalism.
have been looking at how religious Monster,” published by the Buddhist
groups address contemporary organization Dharma Drum The stories do not feature
issues, including environmentalism, Mountain, the first page of the story bodhisattvas as characters, and the
in children’s literature. introduces a bodhisattva who wants narratives may not be obviously
to transform the polluted world into Buddhist, but offer environmental
Teaching children one that is pure. education in the context of a
In Taiwan, over a third of adults This bodhisattva meets a young broader Buddhist education.
identify themselves as Buddhist, boy who says he has nightmares Being a well-rounded Buddhist, in
more than any other religion, about a monster made out of other words, means knowing and
making it a significant cultural trash. As it turns out, the monster respecting the environment.
force. Buddhist groups have been has been appearing because the
at the forefront of efforts to care boy’s room is a messy mountain They may use stories about plants
for the environment. Included in of garbage. When he cleans it up, and animals to teach children
their effort is Buddhist literature for the bodhisattva prompts him to about such things as the life cycle
children that reflects environmental properly sort everything he throws of coal and symbiotic relationships
concerns. away, reflecting real practices. between animals, like that of
Picture books on this topic take two rhinoceroses and oxpeckers, which
approaches: In one, bodhisattvas – Then the little boy decides are popularly thought to eat ticks
wise and powerful supernatural to become a “little pioneer of and other insects, though the reality
beings that can appear in the world world environmentalism,” and is more complex.
to help human beings – serve as accompanies the bodhisattva in
models for children in the way that cleaning up parks and beaches. In Children learn about biology
they protect the environment. this story, the little boy’s concerns and how living beings are
grow from his own room to the interconnected. This lends itself
For example, in the book, bigger world, with the bodhisattva to thinking holistically about the
“Samantabhadra Bodhisattva’s modeling compassionate action. environment, and these stories