Chengdu Buddhist circles: development of "carbon" cable of green temples
2022-02-10
Chengdu is an important Buddhist cultural town in Southwest China, with many temples. With the development and construction of Chengdu, monasteries, as a part of urban public space, are constantly seeking transformation, trying to create a better natural ecology and human ecology. In recent years, the Buddhist community in Chengdu has actively responded to the call of the party and the government, advocated a green and low-carbon lifestyle, and carried out civilized incense worship, afforestation, waste classification, anti food waste, and the establishment of energy-saving social groups. *** Promote civilized incense Every year, more than one million tourists and believers come to Chengdu temples to pray for blessings and visit, especially during holidays. Some tourists and believers are blind to the significance of burning incense to a certain extent. Uncivilized incense worship causes certain pollution to the temple environment and urban air. The vice president of China Buddhist Association, the president of Chengdu Buddhist Association and the abbot of Chengdu Manjusri hospital are very worried about this uncivilized worship of incense. At the initiative of master Zongxing, Chengdu Manjusri Temple began to implement the "civilized worship of incense and Buddha" after the Spring Festival in 2004, limiting the size of incense brought into the temple. The master of Manjusri Temple recalled the situation at that time and said that it was difficult to carry out the "Prohibition of high incense into the temple" at the beginning. Some believers did not understand it, and the businesses operating incense wax around the temple also held a contradictory attitude. In the face of difficulties, the mages of Manjusri hospital patiently did the guidance work. In 2006, Manjusri hospital customized environmental protection incense with less smoke and less stimulation and gave it to tourists and believers free of charge; A free incense giving notice board is set up outside the mountain gate, and a free incense taking place is set up on the left and right sides of the temple. During the Spring Festival and other important festivals, the temple will set up several distribution points to give incense to ensure the orderly and solemn pilgrimage activities. In addition, the "Tianfu Morning Post" and other media are also used to promote civilized incense. Through nearly 10 years of efforts, the air quality in Manjusri hospital has been greatly improved, and the civilized incense worship activities have gradually been understood, recognized and supported by all sectors of society. In January 2014, the China Buddhist Association issued the proposal on continuing to vigorously carry out civilized incense worship and build ecological temples in the Buddhist community across the country. In June, Chengdu Buddhist Association and Chengdu Taoist Association jointly held an on-site meeting on "promoting civilized incense worship and building ecological temples" in Chengdu Manjusri temple. As the first Buddhist temple in Chengdu to participate in advocating civilized incense worship, Manjusri Temple shared the experience of promoting "civilized incense worship". The Chengdu Buddhist Association and the Taoist Association jointly issued a proposal to urge the Buddhist and Taoist circles in the city to fully understand the importance of civilized incense worship and carry out more extensive publicity from the perspective of building ecological civilization, so as to make the concept of civilized incense worship and building ecological temples deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. The initiative has been supported by all sectors of society, and most tourists and believers can consciously use environmental protection thread incense. This is a common commitment and practice of Chengdu Buddhist circles, the general public, tourists and believers to maintain a green ecological environment. In 2016, the Chengdu Buddhist Association gave full play to the role of bridge and coordination, took various effective measures to do a solid and detailed work of civilized incense worship, and actively promoted the experience of civilized incense worship in key temples such as Wenshu temple, Zhaojue temple, Daci Temple, Baoguang temple and Shijing temple in Chengdu. The monasteries posted posters and clear pages at the entrance and in the clear positions, publicized widely, and publicized and used the existing monastery newspaper, window, publicity column, temple micro-blog, WeChat official account, etc. during the period of the festival, the festival, the Spring Festival and the national day, the monks and volunteers were actively cooperating to guide tourists and believers to respect their civilization. Since the all-round implementation of "civilized incense" in 2016, Chengdu monasteries have achieved the goal of full coverage of "civilized incense" in early 2021 according to the five-year plan, of which 85% have met the three national standards in strict accordance with the general technical conditions for the safety of incense burning products, and 25% have implemented free incense gifts, creating a comfortable, clean and safe Temple environment, The concept of civilized worship of incense and Buddha with flowers has also become more and more popular. Restore "equal emphasis on agriculture and Zen" In recent years, the tradition of "paying equal attention to agriculture and Zen" in Chengdu Buddhist circles is gradually recovering. Whether it is a mountain temple or an urban Taoist temple, the mages open up a green garden within square inches, integrate Zen in agriculture, and cultivate intensively. Paying equal attention to agriculture and Zen is not only the unique style of Chinese traditional jungle, but also the vivid practice of Sinicization of Buddhism. Since Zen master Baizhang Huaihai put forward "no work for a day, no food for a day", paying equal attention to agriculture and Zen has become an important part of the clear rules of the jungle. Paying equal attention to agriculture and Zen is of more positive significance in the current comprehensive low-carbon transformation of society, which is conducive to the formation of a social atmosphere of low-carbon life in monasteries. Chengdu Tiexiang temple is located in the bustling business district. The monks of the temple try to create a rural area. In addition to the daily Sutra recitation and practice, the mages "work hard" and sweat and hoe. Chongzhou Baita temple is located by Baita lake. Monks in the temple grow corn, potatoes, rape and so on all year round. The novel coronavirus pneumonia was raging in the spring of 2020, and Baita Temple strictly implemented "double suspension and one delay". While doing a good job in epidemic prevention and control, the mages grabbed the agricultural season and relied on themselves. With no pains and no gains, many monasteries in Chengdu have ushered in a bumper harvest of all kinds of vegetables, melons and fruits, and can be self-sufficient without leaving home. The mages also gave their own vegetables to the front-line anti epidemic personnel and the masses around the temple. Master Zongxing said: "the tradition of paying equal attention to agriculture and Zen is not only one of the ways of Buddhist practice, but also practicing a green and low-carbon way of production and life." The practice of "paying equal attention to agriculture and Zen" in Chengdu Buddhist circles also makes the visitors and believers to the temple feel the low-carbon life personally, which is of positive significance for publicizing the concept of low-carbon life. Advocate green substitutes and waste classification As early as 2007, when the "plastic restriction order" was officially issued, mages of many monasteries in Chengdu picked up bamboo baskets, cloth bags and devoted themselves to green life. In 2021, under the guidance of the United Front Work Department of the municipal Party committee, the Civil Religion Bureau and Buddhist associations at all levels, all monasteries in Chengdu actively implemented the plastic restriction order, earnestly implemented the concept of green development and insisted on creating green monasteries. Monasteries in Chengdu have made multi-dimensional efforts in the publicity of green substitutes, waste classification and recycling and plastic restrictions. After more than ten years of plastic restriction, many monasteries in Chengdu have formed a series of practical alternatives: substitutes made of non-woven fabrics, paper, bamboo and wood to replace the use of disposable plastic products; Almost all vegetarian restaurants and tea gardens in Chengdu Temple use recyclable tableware and say "no" to disposable chopsticks and plastic boxes; The screen partitions, bookshelves, signs and simple and easy-to-use bamboo incense burners made by Chengdu temples using local Cizhu resources reflect the green environmental protection concept of "integration with nature". In response to the call of the government, waste sorting devices have been set up in temples in Chengdu to gradually promote waste recycling. Many monasteries have also specially customized classified garbage cans, indicating the types of recycling and brief instructions for use, so as to guide believers and tourists. In order to enable monks and believers to establish environmental awareness of waste classification and make waste classification gradually become a conscious and habitual behavior, the monks of the temple also specially made posters with strong local characteristics. In addition, the temple is also actively seeking ways to improve the value of waste recycling resources. The mages spontaneously organized visits and studies to science and technology enterprises to better promote the establishment of green temples by learning environmental protection information, garbage classification and other relevant practical operations. Low carbon food, housing and transportation In recent years, monasteries in Chengdu have actively practiced the concept of energy conservation and environmental protection, plain clothes and simple walking, and created resource-saving monasteries. In addition to planting trees, some mages try to buy goods with short transportation mileage, and some insist on climbing stairs, which really brings the reduction of carbon emissions into the temple life. In the history of Buddhism, many eminent monks of all dynasties took diligence and thrift and cherishing material resources as their virtues. In recent years, the Buddhist circles in Chengdu have strengthened the construction of religious style and advocated the monks to maintain their true colors of diligence, thrift and simplicity. Monks' clothes are mainly made of clothes, and old clothes are transformed into cushions, backrests and backpacks. The concept of simplicity, practicality, diligence and thrift is deeply rooted in the Buddhist circles in Chengdu. In 2020, the Buddhist Association of China issued the "cherishing blessings, cherishing things, practicing economy, and actively fulfilling social responsibilities - a proposal to the National Buddhist community". The Buddhist Association of Chengdu launched the initiative of "knowing blessings, cherishing blessings, practicing thrift, eating and saving, and eliminating waste", which jointly called on the four disciples of Buddhism to take responsibility and actively carry forward the traditional virtue of diligence and thrift of the Chinese nation, Actively advocate a healthy, civilized and frugal catering consumption mode. Chengdu monasteries have been vigorously promoting "saving food and opposing waste" since 2015. In the Zen culture experience area of Chengdu Manjusri temple, every diner who tastes vegetarian food can see a card: cherish food and don't waste it. The temple also printed "CD-ROM reward voucher". In the process of building resource-saving monasteries, Chengdu monasteries have formed a series of practical saving schemes. In Chengdu Zhaojue temple, monks practice the concept of green and low-carbon life everywhere in their daily life: the temple uses low-energy lamps and electrical appliances that meet national standards; Reduce the frequency of using air conditioner, even in hot summer, it will be raised by one degree to reduce power consumption; When household appliances are not in use, turn off the power switch in time to form the habit of turning off lights and appliances. In 2004, Daci Temple in Chengdu took the lead in carrying out the transformation of the "rainwater and sewage diversion" pipe network, and directly discharged the collected rainwater into the river through the rainwater pipe network; After domestic sewage is collected, it is sent to the sewage treatment plant for treatment. In addition, new water-saving appliances such as inductive faucets, energy-saving showers and energy-saving toilets can also be seen everywhere in Temple life. In the process of creating a green temple, the monks of Chengdu temple also have many experiences in using new energy. The Buddhist circles in Chengdu started from themselves and bit by bit. The saving concept of cherishing blessings and materials, practicing strict economy and opposing waste has long been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. With the launch of the "carbon cable development of green temples" activity in Chengdu Buddhist circles, more and more temples have joined the team actively exploring the coordinated transformation and development of green. (outlook new era)
Edit：Yuanqi Tang Responsible editor：Xiao Yu
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