Eco-Sangha is Buddhist Ecology in action

“To be a Buddhist is to be both an ecologist and a conservationist.”

That is how Rev. Don Castro described what EcoSangha strives to promote. The term combines the words “ecology” and “sangha,” which is the Buddhist community. Together the word is a term used to call Buddhists to action to incorporate conservation in their lives.

Rev. Don Castro, the retired head minister of the Seattle Buddhist Temple, is credited with starting the Eco-Sangha movement within the Buddhist Churches of America.

The group’s mission statement is:

As Buddhists, the EcoSangha of the San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin recognizes that we are interdependent with all life. From this position of Oneness, we ask what we can do for our environment. Our goals are to promote:

understanding of the inherent ecological nature of Buddhism
ecologically friendly behavior through the established guidelines
recognition of the profound implications of our behavior on future generations

EcoSangha Activities:

Developing and implementing eco-friendly policies and practices for the Betsuin and community. This includes researching and proposing practices/techniques to help keep the Betsuin campus ecologically sound.
Sangha Earth Day event – organized for the Dharma School and Betsuin members to teach and inform.
EcoTips – ecological and earth-friendly tips written each month for the Betsuin newsletter
Year-round collection and recycling of shoes, socks, printer cartridges, and styrofoam to build awareness and help church members to develop eco-friendly habits.
Field trips to learn more about the many efforts made in the Bay Area to expand and remain eco-friendly.

Sangha Earth Day

The Betsuin’s Sangha Earth Day began in 2009 to integrate EcoSangha lessons into the Dharma School curriculum. While it remains focused on ecology-minded and earth-friendly topics and activities for the students, it has since become a popular event for the families and church members. All are welcome!

Popular activities include:

Upcycling
Learning to be earth-friendly
Seed & plant exchange
Worm composting
Solar cooking
Free book exchange
Recycled arts and crafts
Short films
Recycling collection of shoes, socks, ink cartridges, styrofoam and more

Join us for Sangha Earth Day! Annually held on the second Sunday in April.

Bring the whole family!

Eco-Tips

Eco-Tips are published monthly in The Dharma newsletter. These are written by the members of the EcoSangha group and focus on ways to discover and improve upon our daily actions in a more earth friendly manner.