Zen Teacher and Author David L. Roy talks about Becoming an Eco-sattva

This weekend I attended an incredible talk by David Loy hosted by the Zen Center of New York City. Loy is the author of EcoDharma, a book that explores the relationship between the Buddhist Path and the ecological crisis. Loy argues that the climate crisis is perhaps the greatest challenge Buddhism has ever faced. Buddhist thought began with the historical Buddha some 2400 years ago. And logically, the teachings don't directly address climate change. So what could Buddhism offer us in terms of guidance? One answer: absolutely nothing. However Loy believes that the teachings are a rich resource for activists and all those answering the call for change. He reminds us that the mission of the boddhisattvas and the mahasattvas is to "respond appropriately" in every situation. That's a tall order in these times. What's appropriate for one, may not be for another. But fundamentally, appropriate responses require one to strive to understand. And what Loy wants us to understand is that our own personal wellness isn't enough. Self preocupation doesn't make any sense because our wellbeing is tied to the wellbeing of everything else. For this reason, he claims activism is as important as anything that happens on the cushion. Our task now, Loy says, is to do the very best we can not knowing if what we do will make any difference whatsoever. For Loy, hope is the conviction that something is worth doing, not because it will succeed, but because it is the right thing to do. Loy believes we are finally hitting the point of collective awakening around issues of social and climate justice. The communities we form through hope and action will be the strongest aspect of resilience we can have as we face the immense challenges ahead.