Buddhism in Conservation

"May the forest be with you." - Phra Paisal Visalo

In case you were wondering, yes, monks have a sense of humor. 

The Thailand trip, focusing on Buddhism in Conservation, was ideal for me. The Buddhist belief in compassion toward all life, their preference to build temples in forests to cherish natural and peaceful environments, and my Lights Out experience with a little injured bird made this experience feel right. Ten days of mindful discussions, speaking with the local community, and participating in volunteer efforts will forever influence how I approach my workplace, community, and personal life. 

I continue to consult the Tree of Contemplative Practices for ways to engage people in conversations, for creating workshops, and for other outreach opportunities.

Khao Yai National Park

The stories. That's what I remember most about spending time with the Thai Hornbill Research Team in Khao Yai National Park. My favorite story came from a researcher named Oad, who was gored by a gaur, an animal similar to a large bison. After this horrific event that almost killed him, he apologized to the gaur. Unexpected, right? But Oad knew how humans sometimes treat these majestic creatures, so rather than hatred or anger, he felt apologetic for a world that left this gaur and other animals with fewer places to roam. 

Hornbills were hunted to near extinction until the Budo Project, led by Oad. The Budo Project approached the community with a genuine interest in and respect for their opinions and offered solutions based on local needs. 

The team met with the community to address one of the threats: poaching. Telling the community to stop poaching ignored the fact that this was their livelihood and a means of feeding their families in this remote area. 

Rather than criticize the community for poaching, the researchers offered to hire, train, and pay them to join the research team. The community did not want to kill hornbills but needed the money. The researchers needed additional help recording data on nesting cavities. Paying villagers to help conduct observations was a win for all.

Wat Paa Sukato

Work and Volunteering

Sitting atop the Tree of Contemplative Practices is volunteering. During our time at Wat Paa Sukato, we joined monks, the forest service, and local volunteers in planting samplings in an area that had been destroyed by fire.

Forest bathing is attributed to reducing stress and promoting spiritual well-being. So, only makes sense that this was part of our visit one day. Each of us chose a place to spend four hours. Alone. In the forest.

This was my view. 

Silent Appreciative Moment (SAM). Throughout our time in Thailand, we were reminded to be present.

Pay attention to those moments of peace and harmony. Those moments when you are not holding your breath or your shoulders in your ears, but connected to your surroundings and breathing... slow, relaxing breaths.

That, my friend, is a SAM.

I am thankful for joining an alms walk through the neighborhood. This was one of the loveliest and most peaceful days of my visit.

Inner peace brings compassion,

compassion inspires motivation.