Our obdurate self-centeredness,

Engrained in our minds since beginningless time,

Contaminates, defiles and pollutes the environment created by the common karma of all sentient beings.

Lakes and ponds have lost their clarity, their coolness.

The atmosphere is poisoned.

Nature’s celestial canopy in the fiery firmament has burst asunder

And sentient beings suffer diseases, previously unknown.

Perennial snow-mountains, resplendent in their glory,

Bow down and melt into water.

The majestic oceans lose their ageless equilibrium and inundate islands.

The dangers of fire, water, and wind are limitless.

Sweltering heat dries up our lush forests.

The world is lashed by unprecedented storms.

The oceans surrender their salt to the elements.

Though people do not lack for wealth,

They cannot afford to breathe clean air.

Rain and streams do not cleanse, but remain inert and powerless.

Human beings and countless beings that inhabit water and land

Reel under the yoke of physical pain caused by malevolent diseases.

Their minds are dulled by sloth, stupor and ignorance.

The joys of the body and spirit are far, far away.

We needlessly pollute the fair bosom of our Mother Earth,

Rip out her trees to feed our short-sighted greed,

Turning fertile land into sterile deserts  ...

(from “A Buddhist Monk’s Reflections on Ecological Responsibility” by the Dalai Lama XIV)