Everyone is searching for a model recycling program. I often notice “Made From Recycled Materials” on products and wonder how many lives the materials might have before landing in a dump…where they may wait eons for another life. And who knows what kind of life it will be? Truly “mottai-nai !” The following wonderful story may be the earliest historical record of recycling. I found it in the widely distributed “The Teaching of the Buddha” (page 438, under “Family Life”) published by the Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (Buddhist Promoting Foundation) founded by the Shinshu philanthropist, the late Mr. Yehan Numata. According to the book’s source references, the original source for this story seems (to the best of my knowledge) to be Dhammapada Atthakatha 1. As background information, it should be noted that the monks own nothing. Everything they have is donated to them. The giving of robes is generally considered an act of great merit.

When Syamavati, the queen-consort of King Udyana, offered Ananda five hundred garments, Ananda received them with great satisfaction. The King, hearing of it, suspected Ananda of dishonesty, so he came to Ananda and asked what he was going to do with the garments. Ananda replied: “Oh, King, many of the brothers are in rags; I am going to distribute the garments among them.”

“What will you do with the old garments?”
“We will make bed-covers out of them.”
“What will you do with the old bed-covers?”
“We will make pillow-cases.”
“Well, what will you do with the old pillow-cases?”
“We will make floor-covers out of them.”
“And, what will you do with the old floor-covers?”
“We will use them for foot-towels.”
“Then, what will you do with the old foot-towels?”
“We will use them for floor-mops.”
“Well then, what will you do with the old mops?”
“Your Highness, we will tear them into pieces, mix them
with mud and use the mud to plaster the house walls.”