Sangha is a Sanskrit word meaning “community,” and for us it suggests not only our indebtedness to our fellow Buddhists and Buddhist traditions but also our interdependence with all beings in our natural community. EcoSangha is committed to forging bonds among Buddhists and bringing together ecologists who share our respect for the environment.
In an already crowded world of print and online Buddhist periodicals. EcoSangha provides a channel to focus on practical study of interdependence. Though founded as part of the Jodo Shinshu Buddhist Churches of America and The Institute for Buddhist Studies in Berkeley, California, we see EcoSangha as encompassing all Buddhist traditions. We hope, in fact, to create a common space, a common language, and a common iconography that Buddhists of all sects will feel comfortable embracing.
Our primary goal in our articles will be to bear witness to ecological fracture and to raise consciousness about interdependence. If you are reading this, you are probably aware of the dangers we face in the near future because of our society’s failure to address global warming. You are probably also aware of the daily catastrophe of species extinctions across the globe. But you may not be aware of the ways that smaller-scale ecological imbalances—problems that we can address in our lives on our individual, human scale—have a cascading effect in producing large-scale problems. We will look at both the small and the grand stories of ecological imbalance and trace the web of connections that leads one careless action to beget many others.
Beyond news articles, we also want to provide space to contemplate ways of conscious, engaged living. While analysis of the ills of the world is always useful, such analysis, when not tempered by an attempt to find solutions, can lead to resignation. So, in each issue we will try to enumerate practical suggestions to incorporate in our daily lives.
We also want to honor work of engaged Buddhists everywhere. The evolution of Buddhism in the West is transforming Buddhist practice into activism. Outside of the United States, Buddhists maintain traditions of civil disobedience and public service work that, while less well-known than activist Buddhism in the US, demonstrates a deep knowledge of interdependence. We will profile Buddhist groups and individuals from around the world who are working proactively to repair ecological damage or maintain fragile systems.
Finally, we will celebrate our environment, our home, through art, photography, and poetry. News about the devastation of the Amazon rainforest or of the nuclear contamination our Chernobyl can lead us to forget, in our anger, why it is that most of us first became interested in ecology. Human beings experience many things in the unspoiled natural spaces. We are awed by Mount Rainier or the vastness of the Grand Canyon. We are enlivened with joy by the sight of fields of spring flowers. We are rested by the tranquility of a solitary walk in an ancient forest. With art, we can recall the magnificence of our world even in times when we feel overwhelmed by its impermanence.
At times, in reporting our stories we will be business-like and analytical to make sure that the news is transmitted clearly and concisely. But we also hope to maintain a sense of humor and profound feeling of wonder as we move ahead in coming issues of EcoSangha. We invite your submissions and encourage you to read our submissions guidelines. And we want to hear from you. Send us feedback about the things you do and don’t like about EcoSangha. Feel free to send us story ideas, poems, and photography, too. This is a magazine for all of us in the Buddhist community, and we want to work together.