SUMERU » Environmental Issues

Buddhism and the Environment

Yönten — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:24:32 +0000

From the Ottawa Citizen:

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/life/Religion+Experts+What+your+faith+position+environment/6104677/story.html

Great Enlightenment Buddhist Institute Society promotes organic farming in PEI

Yönten — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 23:42:11 +0000

This article from the Charlottetown Guardian is about how the Great Enlightenment Buddhist Institute Society has taken root in Montague, PEI. The story includes information on the centre’s future plans, reactions from the local community, and a major focus on an organic farming project.

http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/News/Local/2012-01-16/article-2865696/Buddhists-unveil-plans-during-gratitude-tea/1

This past summer, the Institute saw more than 600 people attend their 3rd annual Open House…

Details here: http://peicanada.com/eastern_graphic/publication/more_600_people_attend_monks_third_annual_open_house_montague

What do Canadian Buddhists think about Alberta’s tar sands development?

Yönten — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 23:28:50 +0000

Here’s an interesting article from the Rossland Telegraph about opposition to the Alberta tar sands development. Several prominent Buddhist leaders are clearly against the plan (as cited in the article). Where do Canada’s Buddhists stand? For the record, I’d much rather see our efforts going into reducing our energy gluttony, conservation and renewable energy options.

http://rosslandtelegraph.com/news/i-am-environmentalist-16250

Corporate Craving and Buddhist Compassion

Yönten — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 11:53:29 +0000

UBC’s Buddhism and Contemporary Society Program presents a lecture by Jan W. Walls.

“Corporate Craving and Buddhist Compassion: Is There a Middle Ground for Buddhism in Business?”

Date: Thursday, 02 February 2012
Time: 5:00 – 7:00 PM
Place: Room 120, C.K. Choi Building, 1855 West Mall

Lectures are free and open to the public. Seating will be on a first-come first-serve basis.
To download a .pdf poster for printing: Jan W. Walls.

The choice of “Right Livelihood” is so important among primary Buddhist values that it has been enshrined in the Noble Eightfold Path. “Right Livelihood” does not exclude serving or owning a wealth-generating business, but the rightness of a livelihood is determined not by the amount of material wealth it produces, but rather by the well-being it generates. Since the business of businesses today is the pursuit of as much profit as markets and laws allow, isn’t “Buddhist business” an oxymoron by its very nature? In recent years, owing to widespread concern over “corporate greed”, many “ethical business” initiatives have emerged and continue to grow. Assuming that “ethical business” and “Buddhist business” should have much in common, this presentation looks at the diametrically different starting points of Buddhist thought and free enterprise corporate goals, then considers the recent ethical business movements in search of a future convergence of Buddhist ideals and corporate behavior.

After completing his B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Chinese and Japanese languages and literatures, Dr. Walls began his academic career teaching Chinese language and East Asian cultures at the University of British Columbia (1970-78) and the University of Victoria (1978-85). In addition to teaching at UVic, he founded and directed the Center for Pacific and Oriental Studies. From 1981 to 1983 he served as First Secretary for Cultural and Scientific Affairs at the Canadian Embassy in Beijing, and from 1985 to 1987 he was Senior Vice President of the newly established Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, where he founded and developed their first Education and Cultural Affairs programs.

In September, 1987, he joined Simon Fraser University, where he founded and directed a center for the interdisciplinary study of international, intercultural and interlingual communication at SFU’s Harbour Center campus in downtown Vancouver: the David Law Center for International Communication. He also founded and directed SFU’s Asia-Canada Program, an interdisciplinary minor or intensive minor program for undergraduate students.

He has published literary and cultural studies and translations, and lectured widely in the fields of East Asian languages and cultures, East-West intercultural communication, and the theory and practice of cross-cultural translation.

BCS Program lectures are made possible by the generous support of The Tung Lin Kok Yuen Canada Foundation.

Mississauga & Toronto shark fin ban

Yönten — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 00:04:58 +0000

Mississauga is now the largest city in Canada to have banned shark fin products, as of October 13.

Here is a link to the story about it from The Toronto Star: http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1068489

Toronto is set to enact a similar ban at their next Council meeting on October 24, now that Toronto’s licensing commission has unanimously endorsed a ban similar to the one in Mississauga. Here is a link to The Toronto Star article about the Toronto ban: http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1068489

Thich Nhat Hanh & David Suzuki – review and video clip

Yönten — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 15:42:21 +0000

As part of Thaye’s recent Vancouver Retreat and Public Talk, he held a dialogue with David Suzuki on environmental issues.

Here’s a review of that event, and a video clip, from the Vancouver Sun: http://communities.canada.com/vancouversun/blogs/thesearch/archive/2011/08/20/despair-famous-buddhist-and-famous-environmentalist-offer-antidote.aspx

Thich Nhat Hanh & David Suzuki, Vancouver 8.15.11

Yönten — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 15:47:33 +0000

As part of Thich Nhat Hanh’s two-week visit to Vancouver later this month, he will discuss environmental issues with Canada’s well-known activist, David Suzuki. The event is by invitation only, but will be taped for YouTube and other sites.

Here are more details from the Huffington Post:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-hoggan/thich-nhat-hanh-and-david_b_918542.html

HHDL, Montreal – 9.7.11

Yönten — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 01:25:11 +0000

H.H. the Dalai Lama in Montreal

Vancouver theologian to advise Dalai Lama on climate

Yönten — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 17:55:19 +0000

From the Vancouver Sun…

http://www.vancouversun.com/life/Vancouver+theologian+advise+Dalai+Lama/5077711/story.html

Ven. Mathieu Ricard on Global Warming

Yönten — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 00:50:13 +0000

Earlier this year, Sumeru published Rimey Lama Chopa, translated by Glenn Mullin, with a foreward by Ven. Mathieu Ricard. Fifty percent of profits from sales of the book go to support Karuna-Shechen humanitarian projects in the Himalayas. Ven. Ricard’s recent opinion piece in The New York Times explains why it’s so important…

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/24/opinion/global/24iht-june24-ihtmag-ricard-30.html?_r=1