Climate action
A commitment to be of service to our world is at the heart of Zen.
Although the challenges of pollution, waste, poverty, inequality, biodiversity loss and climate change are truly global in scale, we believe that compassionate, community-based actions are worthwhile even though their outcomes are not certain. As a Buddhist community, here at the Centre we work on a daily basis to live simply, use resources wisely and build responsible engagement with our wider society. Here are some of the ways that we seek to serve the world (and address the climate crisis) through compassionate response, attention and care:
Climate emergency declaration
Here at AZC we celebrate Earth Day each year. However, given the scale of the climate and ecological crisis that we face, every day really needs to be an "Earth Day". Recognising this, the Centre declared a Climate Emergency in 2019 (scroll down for the declaration text). Our declaration is a way of affirming (to each other and to the wider community) that we are committed to the difficult work of facing the current climate crisis, exploring its roots in human greed, fear and denial, and its social and ecological consequences, and then doing what we can to alleviate suffering. On 19 June 2019 the AZC Trustees unanimously adopted the declaration, and our ongoing efforts to address climate change are reviewed at every Trustee meeting.
Earth Day
Each year in April we join the global celebrations known as Earth Day. Here is the start of Amala-roshi's Zendo talk, given when AZC marked the 51st Earth Day in April 2021:
"Why do we celebrate Earth Day? You won’t find it mentioned in any traditional Buddhist calendar. But adding this day to our annual cycle of ceremonies was not a mere whim. We started marking Earth Day early in the life of the Auckland Zen Centre, modelling it on our "ceremonies of aid" which are conducted periodically response to famine, floods, fires and other natural (and human) disasters….
The aim is healing. Not so much healing the Earth … but the healing of human beings’ relationship with the Earth. …We should remember though, that there are many millions of people who have suffered under our present industrial growth economy and whose environmental footprint is comparatively tiny. That’s why we must be careful that as we respond to the climate crisis we do so with climate justice in mind.”
Sustainable energy
We are frugal with our energy use at the Centre and Meridian Energy is our electricity supplier. Meridian Energy is committed to meeting future energy needs with renewable energy and helping to minimise the electricity industry’s contribution to climate change. Meridian generates power from 100% renewable energy sources.
Pocket forest
We have converted a neglected corner of Onehunga into a tiny forest. Our zendo backs onto a council-owned car park and the area around the car park was a forlorn wasteland. With the help of a council grant, we cleared the litter and weeds, mulched the ground, and planted over 100 hardy native plants which have thrived, creating a tiny oasis. We also join community tree-planting days each year.
Food
At the Centre we follow a plant-based diet. When we are purchasing food, we select mainly local, seasonal fresh produce and also support organic and fair-trade producers whenever possible. All our food waste is composted.
Transport
We encourage car-pooling and the use of public transport and our Centre is located within minutes of a train station and bus depot. Some of our members bike to the Centre (we have bike stands outside).
Flowers
We try and grow our own flowers for use on the altars. Of course these actions are but drops in a vast ocean, but oceans are made of accumulating drops.
Water dripping ceaselessly
will fill the four seas.
Specks of dust not wiped away
Will become the five mountains.
—Wang Ming 6th Century CE
Auckland Zen Centre Climate Emergency Declaration
Preamble
A fundamental part of our Zen practice is to know suffering, to let go of reactivity, and to learn to respond from a place of spaciousness and compassion. In our Mahayana tradition, we also have the Bodhisattva precepts to guide us, and a central vow is to cherish all beings and live harmlessly.
Declaring a climate emergency at the Centre is a way of affirming (to each other and to the wider community) that we are committed to this difficult work of facing the current climate crisis, exploring its roots in human greed, fear and denial, and its social and ecological consequences, and then doing what we can to alleviate suffering.
The Declaration
By declaring a Climate Emergency, we commit to:
incorporating climate crisis considerations into the life of our Centre, our decisions, practices, purchases and policies
advocating strongly for greater central government and city leadership and action on climate change
treasuring and deepening our practice, which enables us to find love, compassion, joy, equanimity, and the courage for action in the midst of uncertainty and change.
This declaration is a way of affirming (to each other and to the wider community) that we are committed to the difficult work of facing the current climate crisis, exploring its roots in human greed, fear and denial, and its social and ecological consequences, and then doing what we can to alleviate suffering.
In making this declaration, we join hundreds of other Buddhist communities, faith groups, councils, cities and nations around the world, in order to serve our living planet and all its beings as best we can. In the coming weeks, months and years we will be working to keep this declaration alive and central in our practice and in our day-to-day activities.