[Buddha-l] Re: The dying forest

[Sally McAra (FOA ANT TUTOR)]

Here's a reference on Thai tree ordination 

Darlington, S., 2003. Practical Spirituality and community forests: monks,
ritual and radical conservatism in Thailand. In P.R. Greenough and A.L.
Tsing (eds), Nature in the global south: environmental projects in South and
Southeast Asia. Durham, N.C. ; London: Duke University Press, pp. 347-66.

My notes from the reading say: 

The chapter discusses the case of a village Giew Muang in Thailand, where a
monk helped villagers to instigate forest-conservation measures. He led a
tree ordination ritual and "the villagers held a ceremony to ask the village
guardian spirit's permission to create a protected forest" (347).

According to the monk who led this, named Phrakhru Pitak Nanthakhun, (or
Pitak for short), the villagers held the Buddha in high esteem but also
believed in spirits (which Pitak said was "not true Buddhism"). Pitak
accommodated this belief and he said "we set up a shrine for the guardian
spirit together with the Buddha image" (Pitak, qtd on p 348). 

Darlington argues that the tree ordination ceremony etc was important in
reinforcing Pitak's authority but also was of "even greater importance for
the ritual construction of the community. A community forest is dependent on
the strength of the local community, which is responsible for it. It is
precisely because Giew Muang community is ritually constructed that the tree
ordination and the guardian spirit rite were such powerful acts." (349)

An encouraging account of how an "ecology monk" helped to motivate local
people to be more actively involved in reducing deforestation.

Cheers
Sally