Back in the fall of 1990, the Dalai Lama visited my hometown, Middlebury, Vermont, for a symposium on "Spirit and Nature," which featured leaders and scholars from Buddhist, Christian, Jewish, and Muslim world views. The question of how religion and spirituality might aid (or block) an environmental ethic was an important one then, and (it could be argued) the issue is even more important today. I had the pleasure of going to all the sessions, while on a break from my senior year in college. There is a book that was produced with transcripts from all the presentations and there is also a video that was produced by Bill Moyers by the same name, "Spirit and Nature."
I was excited to find this short clip (1 minute) on YouTube of an interchange between Moyers and the Dalai Lama about where reverence for the environment (in this case a mosquito) might have boundaries. What I find most wonderful about this interchange is not only the Dalai Lama's rich practice of his 'belief,' but also his wonderful spirit of humor, lightness, and playfulness ... check it out HERE. (Oh, and whoever loaded it on YouTube called it "the Dalai Lama kills a mosquito," however, it seems that isn't quite accurate...but I don't want to spoil the punchline...)
Do check it out; priceless.
