World of Philosophy

Author(s): Christopher Key Chapple, Intaj Malek, Dilip Charan, Sunanda Shastri, Prashant Dave
Publisher: Shanti Prakashan

Page 985

man's moral pollution, which has assumed alarming proportions and reached a crisis. When a moral degeneration becomes rampant in society, it causes adverse changes in the human body and in our environment.[ Dighanikaya.III.50,80; Anguttaranikaya.1.160, II. 75]. The moral consciousness, the human mind, the human body, the external world consisting of fauna and flora and society are intricately interconnected through all embracing net-work of cause and effect to make one whole psychologically sensitive and responsive eco-system.
This idea has been systematized in the Buddhist theory of five natural laws or cosmic laws. These are called 'Pancha-niyam-dharma' by later Buddhist commentators. These five cosmic laws operate in the universe and shows the interdependence of man and nature. These five laws are:
1] Physical laws (utuniyama),
2] Biological laws [beeja niyama-lit. seed law],
3) Psychological laws [cittaniyama, laws of mind),
4] Moral laws [kammaniyama-law of action), and 5] Causal laws [dhammaniyama] [Samyuktanikaya.1125).
Through these laws, dependence of humans and nature is reiterated. These cosmic laws interact with one another. This means that the physical environment of any given area conditions the growth and development of its biological component, i.e. fauna and flora. These in turn influence the thought pattern of the people interacting with them. Modes of thinking determine moral standards. The opposite process of interaction is possible. The morals of humankind influence not only the psychological make up of the people but the biological and physical environment of the area as well. Thus the five cosmic laws demonstrate that humankind and nature are bound together in a reciprocal causal relationship with. Changes in one necessarily bringing about changes in the other. The world, including nature and humankind stands or falls with type of moral force at work. If morality grips society, humankind and nature deteriorate, if morality regains the quality of human life and nature improves. The demonic qualities like greed, hatred and delusion produce pollution within and without. Divine qualities like generosity, compassion, love and wisdom produce purity within and without. Both these qualities are in the human mind. Human being is responsible for developing these either of the qualities. Therefore, the Lord Buddha declared that 'the world is lead by the mind' (Cittena niyate lokah - Samyuktanikaya I.39).
The cosmic laws namely, physical, biological and moral laws when interact with one another then man experiences weal or woe, happiness or nhappiness according to the nature of moral energy he generates. If whole
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