The buddhist way of protecting the forest | Tree Ordination

The Buddhist Way of Protecting the Forest | Tree Ordination

Each day across the globe, many trees are destroyed through the process of deforestation.

In an effort to reduce and even reverse this trend, Theravada monks in Thailand participate in tree planting and “tree ordination” ceremonies. If you have ever travelled throughout a forested area of Thailand, perhaps you have seen orange pieces of cloth tied around trees. The ceremony that you are witnessing now is where this phenomenon comes from. The monks from Pa Pae join local villagers as they mark this area of forest as protected by the Sangha. Upon seeing trees marked in this way, the villagers will respect the sacredness of this area and leave the forest untouched. The forest serves as a place of refuge for monks to practice amidst the purity of nature. It also serves as the home of many hill tribe people and other similar agricultural communities. So this ceremony signifies the cooperation between the monastic community and the local villagers to preserve a place that each of them call home. This ceremony also has far reaching implications into the future as Thailand continues to modernize. It helps the youth understand the importance of preserving mother nature so that future generations can continue to call home.

 

Source: Nick Keomahavong - Youtube