ABSTRACT
Buddhism has something fundamental to say on the environmental issue, because it addresses the basic human attitudes that lie at the heart of our planet's problems. In the short term Buddhism helps us live a more harmonious life. It offers a vision of what it means to be a human being that is very different from the one our society trains us to accept – a vision in which life is a spiritual quest rather than a fight for survival or material goods. Giving us a vision of what it means to be a human being that makes a return to a sustainable life-style possible, Buddhism also offers a set of practical guide-lines to help us live in concord with our surroundings. Traditionally the Dharma encourages us to cultivate this attitude mainly towards other sentient beings – human and animal – starting with those near to us, then extending our goodwill to the global and even cosmic plane.
