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The article I read for this assignment is “The Forest Monks” by Greg Harris. The author, Harris, visited Wat Pa Sukato, a forest monastery where the monks work in conjunction with local villagers to promote forest preservation and sustainable development. Thai monks, typically, are not supposed to be activists, according to this author. They are supposed to focus only on spiritual life. However, monks have a history of retreating to the seclusion of the forests in their process of seeking enlightenment, and when development and deforestation in Thailand ramped up in the 60s, they found it harder and harder to do so.
The early efforts of the monks to promote forest preservation and sustainable development were not very successful, to the point that monks who did so faced harsh criticism, blocked opportunities to move up the hierarchy of the monasteries, and even jail. They were told that conservation was none of their business; they were only supposed to focus on their own spiritual lives. So, they changed tactics, and started marking specific trees as sacred trees. They focused on promoting the idea that forests are a necessary part of their spiritual lives. They researched the history of Buddha and his involvement with nature, and the Buddhism premises of compassion, do no harm and loving kindness – of all living things. Using that information, they found ways to persuade those who were opposed to their activism that their interest in conservation was a vital part of Buddhism. Over time, their efforts, and their successes, have become more visible and accepted throughout Thailand. The author ends the article by discussing the idea that religious traditions are often interpreted differently and undergo change as cultures change, and the monks’ involvement in forest preservation and sustainable development is a necessary response to the way the world has changed.
I found this article particularly appealing because I value nature, and the biodiversity found within it. One reason I am choosing Thailand as a place to take this course is because I’m interested in visiting its national parks. Unfortunately, about 50% of the Thai population lives in cities, and the country is becoming more and more urban every year. People who live in cities, especially those who don’t have a chance to get out of the cities, usually do not value nature. When people don’t value nature, conservation, forest preservation and sustainable development don’t tend to be things they are willing to advocate for. The ones who fight for nature are those who value it. As a result, I was happy to find this article and to see that the monks are involved in conservation efforts. I was not aware of that before reading this article.
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