Abstract:
The terms bījagāma (seeds to be grown) and bhūtagāma (grown seeds) are
very significant as those fundamentally talk on the environment. They reflect
upon a kind of philosophical teaching and are explained from the perspective
of environment in the Canon. The places where the term bījagāmabhūtagāma
occurs in the Tipiṭaka include as a single form not separate one. The term
altogether also means that it is an interdependent idea. In this study, five of
those ‘bījagāmabhūtagāma’ references in the Canon are referred to. All those
references can be divided into two categories. One, is the reference that is based
on environmental ethics attached to the way of life of saints: The Brahmajālasutta
(D I.5) explains one of eminent practices of a recluse to refrain from
violating ‘bījagāmabhūtagāma’, a practice of the Tathāgata that came to be
praised in contemporary India, Pācittiya XI (Vin IV.35) which emphasizes
destruction of vegetable growth as an offence of expiation for the saṅgha, and
Chabbisodhana-sutta (M III.34) denotes that this is one of the qualities of an
of Arahant that is not to harm the Environment on his way to Nibbāna. Two,
is the teachings related to the natural environment. The Bīja-sutta (S V.46)
the success of monkhood is based on morality (sīla). The Bīja-sutta (S III.54)
illustrates a firm connection of the five groups of plants (pañcabījajātāni) with
kamma-viññāṇa (the growth of consciousness) as they are interdependent on
each other. All these references reveal the significance of the environment
and provide an answer to the environmental crises with reference to the
Canon. The methodology of the study is based on references to the Canon,
and some commentaries are used as necessary. The tentative conclusion points
to the appreciation of earth-friendly ways of life and solution for modern
environmental crises based on ethics found in Buddhist teachings.
