A booklet about the Indian Elephant and its role in and contributions to the history, religion, and ecosystems. It has been designed to help save the elephant from extinction in the wild.

1. Crisis in the Forest
Danuse Murty and Bhante S Dhammika
Produced by the Buddhist Council of NSW
For Free Distribution Only

2. 2
Dedication
To children
“We have a brief window of opportunity to take action, to preserve
humanity from imminent disaster and to assist the survival of the many
diverse and beautiful forms of life on Earth.
Future generations, and the other species that share the biosphere with
us, have no voice to ask for our compassion, wisdom, and leadership.
We must listen to their silence. We must be their voice, too, and act on
their behalf.”
From “A Buddhist Declaration on Climate Change”[1]

3. 3
Acknowledgement
This booklet was inspired by the life and teachings of the Buddha and
the current plight of the Asian elephant.[2, 3]
The story Crisis in Kosambi [4] was written by Bhante S Dhammika and
utilised for this booklet with his kind permission. The rest of this booklet,
including all pictures, was created by Dr Danuse Murty.
The two drawings of the Buddha on pages 8 and 9 are based on free
colour images by anonymous artists, which she obtained from the
Google Images on the Internet. The remaining drawings are based on
various photographs.
Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Samma Sambuddhassa.

4. 4
Introduction
Buddhism originated in north Indian forests more than 2500 years ago
with Gotama Buddha. The Buddha embodied or was one with the
peaceful way of life he taught. He sought the Universal truths while
living in Indian forests, attained full awakening while sitting under a
Bodhi Tree and then walked the countryside teaching the Dhamma and
staying mainly in forests.[2]
He lived extremely simply, content with basic life requisites and chose
to die in a forest beneath a canopy of flowering Sal trees. Even in his
last hours he showed great appreciation towards nature and
encouraged his disciples to live in the way of the Dhamma, the Middle
Way:
‘“And the Blessed One spoke to the Venerable Ananda, saying:
"Ananda, the twin sal trees are in full bloom, though it is not the season
of flowering. And the blossoms rain upon the body of the Tathagata and
drop and scatter and are strewn upon it in worship of the Tathagata.
And celestial coral flowers and heavenly sandalwood powder from the
sky rain down upon the body of the Tathagata, and drop and scatter
and are strewn upon it in worship of the Tathagata. And the sound of
heavenly voices and heavenly instruments makes music in the air out of
reverence for the Tathagata.
Yet it is not thus, Ananda, that the Tathagata is respected, venerated,
esteemed, worshipped, and honored in the highest degree. But,
Ananda, whatever bhikkhu or bhikkhuni, layman or laywoman, abides
by the Dhamma, lives uprightly in the Dhamma, walks in the way of the
Dhamma, it is by such a one that the Tathagata is respected,
venerated, esteemed, worshipped, and honored in the highest degree.
Therefore, Ananda, thus should you train yourselves: 'We shall abide by
the Dhamma, live uprightly in the Dhamma, walk in the way of the
Dhamma.'" [5]

5. 5
Now most of the beautiful forests the Buddha and his disciples walked
and stayed in are diminished or gone, and with them also many animal
species they knew and loved. The Asian elephant is now on the IUCN
endangered species list, and so is the lion and many species of
monkeys and birds.[6]
The story Crisis in Kosambi is based on real events from the Buddha’s
life and it illustrates the truth of the interdependence of all lives and
achievements. It reminds us not only of the ancient forests and their
great illuminators, but also of the potential of love to prevent and
alleviate suffering and to use it now to help save the remaining forests
and their wildlife from destruction and extinction. The story Elephant in
Crisis explains the current plight of the Asian elephant and what each of
us can do to help save it from extinction in the wild. [3, 7]

6. 6
Crisis in Kosambi
Kosambi was a large city surrounded by huge walls and situated on the
banks of the Yamuna River. Beyond its walls were large areas of land
covered by jungle and the people who lived in the many villages that
bordered the jungles often encountered lions, elephants, deer,
rhionoceros and other wild animals.
It was at Kosambi that the first serious crisis occurred in the Sangha.
Two monks were living together in the same hut. The first of these
monks was an expert in monastic discipline and was also conscientious
and sincere. One day, this monk went to the toilet and when finished,
failed to refill the water pot. His companion scolded him and accused
him of breaking a rule. A bitter argument gradually developed, the
second monk insisting that the first had broken a rule and the first
insisting that he had not. Eventually all the monks in Kosambi got
involved, taking either one side or the other, and the whole community
became "disputatious, quarrelsome and contentious, wounding each
other with the weapon of the tongue."[8, 9]
The Buddha tried again and again to bring about a reconciliation but
when the monks curtly told him to mind his own business, he decided to
show his disapproval of their unruly behaviour by walking out on them.
He tidied up the room where he was staying, took his robe and bowl,
and left for more congenial surroundings, saying as he left:
"He abused me, he hit me,
He oppressed me, he robbed me."
Those who continue to hold such thoughts
Never still their hatred.
“He abused me, he hit me,
He oppressed me, he robbed me.”
Those who do not hold such thoughts
Soon still their hatred.

7. 7
For in this world
Hatred is never appeased by more hatred.
It is love that conquers hatred.
This is an eternal law. [10]
Not far from Kosambi was a park called the Eastern Bamboo Grove
where a group of monks headed by Venerable Anuruddha stayed, and
the Buddha decided to go there. When he arrived, the park keeper, not
knowing who he was, refused to let him enter saying, "There are monks
here who love silence. Please do not disturb them." Anuruddha saw this
and told the park keeper to relent and welcome the Buddha. It was
immediately obvious to the Buddha that, in stark contrast to the monks
at Kosambi, these monks were living together in harmony and were
practising with diligence. The Buddha asked them how they were able
to do this. Anuruddha answered:
"Concerning this I think: 'Indeed, it is a gain for me, indeed it is good
that I am living with such companions in the holy life.' I practise bodily,
verbal and mental acts of love towards them, both in public and in
private. I think: 'Why don't I set aside my own wishes and acquiesce to
their wishes,' And then I act accordingly. Truly, we are different in body,
but we are one in mind. This is how we are able to live together in
friendliness and harmony, like milk and water mixed, looking on each
other with the eye of affection." He then went on to describe the
consideration they showed towards each other in their daily life.
"Whoever returns from going to the village for alms food gets the seats
ready, sets out water for drinking and washing, and puts out the refuge
bowl. Whoever returns from the village last eats what is left of the food,
or if he does not want it, throws it away where there are no crops or
throws it in water where there are no creatures. He puts away the seats,
the water bowl and refuge bowl, and sweeps the dining hall. Whoever
sees the bowl for drinking water, the bowl for washing water or the
water bowl in the toilet empty, he fills it. If he cannot do this himself, by
using hand signals he invites his companions to help him, but we do not
for such a minor thing break into speech. And then, once every five
nights, we sit down together and talk about the Dharma.”[11]

8. 8
After staying at the Eastern Bamboo Grove for a while, the Buddha felt
the need for a period of complete solitude and so he went to the forest
near the village of Parileyya. The forest was a well-known haunt for wild
animals and few people went there, and the Buddha was prepared to
go without food in order to be completely alone for a while.
He settled down at the foot of a beautiful sal tree and spent his time
meditating. After a while, a huge bull elephant appeared and placed the
water it was holding in its trunk in the Buddha's bowl. A monkey also
would pick fruit or collect honey and each day bring it to the Buddha.
With the help of these animals, he was able to spend time without
having any contact with people. Like many people since, the Buddha
felt that the beauty of the forest and the company of animals could be a
welcome reprieve from the noise and bustle of society.[12]

9. 9
After staying at Parileyya for some time the Buddha left, and not
wanting to return to Kosambi, he went to Savatthi.
Meanwhile, back in Kosambi, the lay people decided to withdraw their
support from the monks, who started coming back from their alms
rounds with their bowls empty. Gradually, they found less reason to
carry on their dispute and as their tempers cooled down, they began to
feel ashamed of themselves. Eventually, a delegation of monks went to
Savatthi to see the Buddha to ask for his forgiveness, which he gave,
thus bringing the Kosambi dispute to an end.

10. 10
Elephant in Crisis
During the Buddha’s life tropical forests were extensive in India and
across Southeast Asia, the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) was
abundant and human population of the region was relatively small, less
than 100 million. [13, 14]
The elephant has been revered and exploited by people of Asia over
centuries, captured and used in religious ceremonies and in war, used
for travel and hard labour. It was well known for its memory and
intelligence and provided a source of inspiration for many stories and
spiritual teachings.[15, 16, 17, 18]
But its history and contributions extend far beyond the human use.
African and Asian elephants have diverged from their common ancestor
more than 7 million years ago.[13] Elephant is a largest land mammal
and a key biological species in the Asian tropical forests. It has major
modifying impact on their plant species composition and seed dispersal.
As it feeds and travels it creates trails and other open areas for bamboo
and herbaceous plants to grow, and it disperses seeds of many plants
and fertilises the soil through its dung. Hence it also indirectly impacts
on the distribution and abundance of many animal species that coexist
in these forests. [3, 6]
Sadly, with the rapid increase in human population since the beginning
of 20th
century, large areas of its forest habitat have been destroyed
and fragmented and consequently elephant numbers have rapidly
declined. Poaching for ivory and meat also contributed to this decline. It
has been estimated that while around 100,000 elephants may have
existed at the start of 20th
century, there are now less than 50,000 of
them living in the wild. Indian elephant makes up more than 50% of this
remaining wild population. Now the species occurs only as scattered
and isolated populations extending from South India and Sri Lanka

11. 11
eastwards through Southeast Asia to Vietnam and islands of Sumatra
and Borneo [3, 19]
Hence since 1973 the ivory trade has been banned, and in 1986 Asian
elephant has been placed on the IUCN endangered species list. Now
international scale efforts are being made to conserve its fragmented
wild populations and remaining forest habitat. [3, 20, 21]
Elephant’s future in the wild is dependent on plentiful healthy forest
habitat and human care. Through helping to save its forest habitat we
are helping to save the elephant and also many other endangered
species that depend on these forests for continued survival.
An easy and important way each of us can help save these forests is by
reducing our eco-footprint and living in a more eco-friendly way, the
Middle Way. This way includes living more simply, saving paper and
other natural resources, and even sponsoring the elephant or other
endangered inhabitants of these tropical forests.[20, 22]

12. 12
Reflection on Food
The following short reflection before meals is a helpful reminder of the
significance of what we consume and to use it wisely.[23]
“In this food,
I see clearly the presence
of the entire Universe
supporting my existence.”
“I promise myself
to use it wisely
for the benefit
of all beings.”

13. 13

14. 14

15. 15
References
1. Ecological Buddhism, 2009. A Buddhist Declaration on Climate
Change. www.ecobuddhism.org
2. Piyadassi Thera, 1982. The Buddha, His Life and Teaching. The
Wheel Publication 5 A/B. Buddhist Publication Society, Sri Lanka.
www.bps.lk; www.buddhistcouncil.org/bodhitree > E-books
3. World Wide Fund for a Living Planet (WWF), 2011. WWF
Factsheet - 13th
Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES,
Bangkok, 2-14 October 2004, Asian Elephant Elephas maxiums..
www.wwf.org.au; http://wwf.panda.org
4. Dhammika S Bhante, 2011. The Buddha and His Disciples.
Buddha Dhamma Mandala Society, Singapore.
5. Vajira Sister and Story F, 1998. Digha Nikaya: Mahaparinibbana
Sutta - Last Days of the Buddha, DN 16. www.accestoinsight.org
6. International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), 2011. IUCN
Red List of Threatened Species: Elephas maximus (Asian Elephant).
www.iucnredlist.org
7. United Nations, 2011. International Year of Forests 2011.
www.un.org/en/events/iyof2011/
8. Tipitaka: 1) Internet Sacred Text Archive - Buddhism, Jataka Vol 3:
Jataka No 428. www.sacred-texts.com; 2) Vinaya, Mahavagga 10: 1-10.
9. Upalavanna Sister, 2010. Majjhima Nikaya: Kosambia Sutta - The
Discourse at Kosambi. MN 48. www.metta.lk/tipitaka
10. Buddharakkhita Acharaya, 1985. The Dhammapada - The
Buddha’s Path of Wisdom. Buddhist Publication Society, Sri Lanka.
www.bps.lk; www.buddhistcouncil.org/bodhitree
11. Upalavanna Sister, 2010. Majjhima Nikaya: Culagosinga Sutta -
The Minor Discourse in the Gosinga Forest. MN 31.
www.metta.lk/tipitaka

16. 16
12. Ireland J, 1997. Khuddaka Nikaya: Udana, Naga Sutta - The Bull
Elephant. Ud 4.5. www.accesstoinsight.org
13. Wikipedia, 2011. 1) Elephant; 2) Asian Elephant. wikipedia.org
14. Wikipedia, 2011. World Population. www.wikipedia.org
15. Dhammika S Bhante, 2011. 1) Dictionary of Flora and Fauna in the
Pali Tipitaka. Forthcoming; 2) Guide to Buddhism A to Z.
www.buddhisma2z.com
16. Kawasaki K and V, Jataka Tales of the Buddha.
www.accesstoinsight.org
17. Nanamoli Bhikkhu and Bodhi Bhikkhu, 2005. The Middle Length
Discourses of the Buddha. Majjhima Nikaya: Cula-hatthipadopama
Sutta - The Shorter Elephant Footprint Simile, MN 27.
www.bodhimonastery.net
18. Thanissaro Bhikkhu, 2005. Majjhima Nikaya: Cula-hatthipadopama
Sutta - The Shorter Elephant Footprint Simile, MN 27.
www.accesstoinsight.org
19. Leimgruber P, Gagnon GB, Wemmer C, Kelly DS, Songer MA and
Selig ER, 2003. Fragmentation of Asia’s Remaining Wildlands:
Implications for Asian Elephant Conservation. Animal Conservation
(2003) 6: 347-359.
20. World Wide Fund for a Living Planet (WWF), 2011.
www.wwf.org.au; www.loveyourforests.org
21. Alliance of Religions and Conservation (ARC) Projects. Asian
Buddhist Network. www.arcworld.org/projects.asp?projectID=1
22. Murty D, 2011. International Year of Forests - Sharing the Buddhist
Cultural Heritage. Buddhist Council of NSW. www.buddhistcouncil.org
23. Part 1: Hanh Thich Nhat, 1997. Present Moment Wonderful
Moment - Mindfulness Verses for Daily Living. Published by Full Circle,
Delhi, India. Printed for Free Distribution by The Corporate Body of the
Buddha Educational Foundation. Taipei, Taiwan. Part 2: Anonymous.

17. 17