從原始佛教的宇宙觀談現代的環保

A Study of Contemporary Environmental Protection in Terms of Cosmic Discourse in Theravāda Buddhism

環保是在人類開始注意到環境破壞和自身衰落的背景下產生的。近年來因為災難的頻發，加上2012年世界末日將要來臨的傳言，使得人們加倍關心自然環境的變化。雖然在原始佛經中沒有特別提出「環保」的概念，但是我們透過《起世因本經》（Aggañña sūtra）、《劫經》等原始巴利佛經，可以看到佛教如何看待人類的出現與世界的生成和過程；而透過《轉輪聖王經》（Cakkavatti-Sihanāda sūtra）可以看到宇宙和地球毀滅的原因。從理解宇宙、地球、人類生成以及此生成的原因，引起保護或維持世界精神的起點。本文從討論宇宙、地球的毀滅以及人類墮落的原因，能提起防患於未然的精神，進而找出保護世界與令世界繁榮昌盛的方法，最後從心靈環保的角度討論環保的實踐。這不僅是佛經中闡明心靈與環境有一定的關係，而且當今的科學界也有此研究成果。在文章的最後，作者將以佛教的角度，回答關於2012世界末日的傳言是否成立。雖然如此，我們也要指出：人類是否能保護地球，不是在於理論上的爭議，而是在實踐上的共同努力。

The science of environmental protection began in the sixteenth century CE when human beings started paying attention to the destruction and the decline of the environment. Nowadays, rumors about 2012 and the doomsday are making people more interested in environmental protection as people note the deteriorating situations of environmental pollution, the impact on human health and the scarcity of resources. Although there is no direct account of environmental protection in Original Buddhist Texts, the emergence of the process of generation of the world and humans can however be discovered through Aggañña sūtra and Kalpa Sūtra. Moreover, the destruction of the cosmos and the earth was also recorded in the Cakkavatti-Sihanâda sūtra. In this paper it is shown how the earth and human beings may be protected from degradation through understanding the origin or evolution of the universe. Also a discussion about the practice of the mind indicates that this has some effects on environmental protection. In conclusion, a Buddhist response will be given to the possibility of the 2012 scenario and the doomsday. As to the issue of earth protection, emphasis is given on practice instead of doctrinal disputes.