Environmental protection concept in Tibetan customs and culture

This paper discusses the taboo customs in Tibetan customs and culture and the environmental protection concept in moral beliefs, and holds that it is necessary to absorb the environmental protection concept in Tibetan customs and culture, understand it with scientific concepts, transform nature with advanced scientific and technological means, protect the unique human and geographical environment of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and promote the sustainable development of Tibet.

At a time when the world advocates economic growth and rich countries are facing ecological and environmental crisis, the snow-covered ethnic groups living on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau protect every grassland, forest and various animals endowed by nature with their own unique customs and ways. They are deeply loved by all things with their simple and kind hearts in a hard living environment, and protect nature with the concept of being kind to all things and being peaceful. The maintenance of this kind of love is based on the idea of consciously restraining the expanding desire to get along with people and nature on an equal footing. Therefore, in the face of the splendid national culture for thousands of years, should we objectively analyze and understand it from the viewpoint of dialectical materialism, absorb it with a scientific attitude, and inject the essence of excellent traditional culture into the modern humanistic ecology, instead of arbitrarily discarding it as a backward and worthless culture with the so-called fashion concept? This paper intends to talk about the ecological protection contained in Tibetan customs and culture.

First, taboo customs and nature protection.

Taboo custom is one of the cultural forms that reflect the relationship between man and nature and society. It can be said that it is a multifaceted cultural form that takes root and evolves in people's lives and adapts to morality, beliefs and habits. It is an indispensable part of the study of human society, customs, culture and beliefs, and it has also been deeply studied in recent years.

Tibetan culture has attracted worldwide attention because of its unique spiritual value. Taboo customs of Tibetans are only a reflection of their spiritual culture, which are bound by a wide range of contents in terms of speech, behavior, clothing, diet and daily life. With their persistence and perseverance, Tibetans internalize this taboo into a conscious moral norm or value concept of psychology and behavior.

Tibetan taboo culture contains a side that human beings yearn for to some extent. In other words, this conscious behavior taboo, from a certain point of view, has positive and far-reaching significance for the sustainable survival and development of human beings and nature.

(1) No killing.

The practice of harming life at will or infringing on the safety and survival of other creatures is regarded as inhuman and spurned by Tibetans. For example, avoid killing all living animals (including people of course). Wild animals are big and fierce, as small as a small ant, bug, flying in the sky, crawling on the ground, and all living things are forbidden to kill. Since ancient times, killing is a very serious crime for Tibetans and a great blasphemy against life. Therefore, even when people slaughter cattle and sheep to maintain their basic needs, they will make atonement through certain religious ceremonies and will not harm any life at will.

Avoid catching and disturbing any birds, destroying the nest, driving away birds and eating any poultry meat and eggs. Do not eat claw animals, such as birds, chickens, cats, dogs, etc. Avoid eating strange hoofed animals, such as horses, donkeys and mules. Do not eat any aquatic animals, such as fish, shrimp, crabs, frogs, etc. They are regarded as the category of "Lu" gods and naturally cannot be violated. Don't eat reptiles or mollusks such as snakes and pythons.

The most taboo is to kill birds and animals. For example, released cattle, sheep and horses are not allowed to be driven away, enslaved or returned freely, let alone slaughtered, as well as bears and tigers; Vultures are regarded as sacred birds by Tibetans, and it is forbidden to catch, beat or kill them.

Avoid driving, beating and scolding all kinds of dogs around the temple, they never hurt people; Don't beat the herdsmen's dogs and horses. Dogs are their loyal partners, and they are the guardians of their homes, cattle and sheep in the hearts of Tibetans. Therefore, roughly flogging dogs is the most taboo, not to mention hurting dogs, not to mention eating dog meat. Love horses deeply, even if the owner is hungry and cold, keep food to keep warm.

Avoid killing during major religious activities, and avoid killing during the eighth, fifteenth and thirtieth days; It is forbidden to ride livestock in "Catch Mother".

With the development of society, the cognition and implementation of the above taboos are different in different groups and regions (such as young people and the elderly, cities and villages). Nevertheless, some basic taboo customs handed down are still passed down and observed, and people still consciously limit their personal desires and protect all life that can be protected with equality and kindness.

Although many taboos are inextricably linked with religion, dialectically speaking, the other side of taboos reveals the Tibetan people's concept of life and embodies a basic concept of living in peace with nature, which also protects other lives and human beings' right to exist to some extent.

(2) Avoid touching the holy mountain.

Don't climb the sacred mountain at will, and don't hunt, collect, dig, cut and make noise on the sacred mountain, and pick up anything such as flowers, grass, wood, stone and soil on the sacred mountain; It is forbidden to cut down, dig or take away anything such as grass, trees, stones and soil around the temple.

(3) Avoid indiscriminate digging and chopping.

Avoid breaking ground at will. In pastoral areas, avoid digging grass hills and grasslands to avoid hurting grasslands; In agricultural areas, even if you move land, you should pray to the land god first, and then move; Avoid digging, throwing and burning unclean and smelly things in the field at will; Avoid cutting down trees at will.

(4) Avoid contact with Shenhu waters.

Avoid washing and swimming in the magic fox water. It is forbidden to inject blood into sacred lakes, springs and rivers; Avoid placing dirt, urinating, spitting and blowing your nose. Around or in rivers, lakes and springs. Avoid digging rivers and lakes, especially springs. Avoid fishing and touching shrimps in Shenzhen and Shanghai.

From an ecological point of view, these extensive taboos about natural species, from mountains to plains, from forests to rivers and lakes, from plants to animals, from a stone to a soil to a grass and a tree, all contain a certain sense of environmental protection and reveal far-reaching ideas of sustainable development. As we all know, a large number of deforestation, grassland desertification and so on, this destruction of vegetation has led to serious soil erosion, species reduction, and has threatened the ecological balance of the earth. 2 1 century, the enhancement of global environmental awareness means the survival crisis faced by mankind, aiming at seeking more effective and long-term strategic measures for sustainable development. We should not only adopt modern high technology, but also absorb the positive spirit of national culture from traditional culture, so as to adjust the humanistic crisis and the subsequent environmental crisis in which modern people excessively pursue material enjoyment and abandon traditional culture, adjust the mentality of "solipsism", treat and respect nature well, and thus make human beings live in harmony with nature.

It can be seen that the Tibetan people's taboos on life and natural species have obviously protected the ecological environment of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the roof of the world, to a considerable extent. It is the thousand-year inheritance of their conscious behavior or ideas that makes other lives enjoy equal treatment, fraternity and free life. Today, when we face the deteriorating environment and think about the future of mankind, I believe these positive factors will bring new touches and new thinking to people in the new century. The Marxist view of the relationship between things also clearly shows that only by following the objective laws of interdependence and interdependence, and seeking survival and development in contact, can real progress be made.

Second, morality, beliefs, customs and environmental protection.

Morality, as a code of conduct for human beings, should include all the codes of conduct for human beings to transform and conquer nature. Human behavior towards nature should first be reflected in whether the whole human moral behavior pays attention to the living environment, and at the same time, we should strengthen our understanding of the objectivity of the mutual restriction between economic base and morality, and ask people to consciously respect nature and act according to the laws of nature in the form of global morality. Mr. Liang Congjie once said, "Only by attaching importance to the protection of nature can a country ensure the sustainability of its development while developing its economy. Economic development and environmental protection can be completely coordinated. Otherwise, that kind of short-sighted behavior will be punished by nature, and the result will not be worth the candle. " Therefore, the improvement of moral level is the basic element to regulate people's behavior.

While creating splendid civilization, the Tibetan people also created belief consciousness in different development periods with certain philosophy system, concept system, consciousness system, moral norms, culture and art, and penetrated into all aspects of their material and spiritual life, forming different consciousness categories such as material outlook, values and outlook on life. As a code of conduct that reflects the relationship between people and nature in Tibetan society, that is, the social norm ethics that measures "conscience" has been integrated with Buddhist morality. Therefore, it is of great significance to dialectically extract ideas or thoughts with practical value from Tibetan culture.

The concept of equality, respect and tolerance

Some people say that Tibetan culture, as a unique culture in high-altitude areas, faces the world with its unique charm and provides an indispensable culture for human culture; Its spirit of "tolerance", "humanity", "altruism" and "patriotism" is also an indispensable achievement of spiritual civilization in today's world and even in the future society. This is the precious spiritual value of Tibetan culture with the flavor of the times.

Modern society is facing not only high-tech competition, but also cultural and spiritual construction competition. Facing our living environment, besides the support of high technology, we also need the strong support of spiritual culture. Only by organically combining the two can the strategic policy of protecting and improving human homeland be effective and sustainable development have a solid foundation. In this regard, all the cultural wealth created by human beings, including Tibetan culture, will be used for reference and provide us with ideas, models, methods and experiences to solve problems.

Kindness, compassion and love occupy a prominent position in Tibetan culture, emphasizing kindness and repair, compassion and uncontroversial love. After this concept entered the western world as an idea, many westerners gained greater spiritual comfort, which not only became the lubricant of psychological conflict in real life, but also became a sacred social ideal.

From the harsh cold and oxygen-deficient environment in which the Tibetan people live, especially their love and equality for everything in life, we can find that their love is unrequited love, and they treat other lives with selfless love. This kind of love is based on the moral requirements of justice, compassion and tolerance. For example, the folk proverb "don't look at wealth, look at people, don't look at the mouth, look at the heart"; Be strict with yourself and be lenient with others; "Don't dress up the surface, but cultivate the heart"; The content of "giving priority to official business and naturally doing private affairs" reflects how to standardize people's character and virtue. In addition, this kind of moral cultivation makes people not hurt or even abuse animals at will, thinking that animals have feelings like people, and nature has given them the rights and freedom to live, die and die, so they should not violate them at will, otherwise it will be immoral. For example, pedestrians will detour when they meet other creatures on the way, or put them in a space that is not easy to be hurt by people. They will never directly trample them to death or kill them, even some annoying insects will not hurt them; No picking, trampling on flowers and trees, no digging and cutting, and so on.

This idea or principle of forbidding people to mercilessly harm other lives for personal gain always reminds people to think more about the existence value of life, respect life and create a beautiful environment for all survivors. Some people say that "tolerance and forgiveness have become an important part of people's morality and ethics in the snowy plateau." This moral requirement and norm for human nature virtually sublimates the Tibetan people's love and compassion for life, reduces the selfish and profit-seeking elements in human nature, and undoubtedly plays a hidden role in protecting the surrounding life and environment, which can also be freed from the following description. According to a preliminary investigation by researchers, there are 654.38+10,000 Tibetan antelopes, more than 3,000 wild yaks and more than 500 black-necked cranes living in the northern Tibetan plateau. Wild animals listed in the national first-class key protection include "wild yak, Tibetan antelope, Tibetan wild donkey, snow leopard and black-necked crane", and those listed in the national second-class key protection include Tibetan snow chicken, grassland lynx, rabbit lynx, desert cat, brown bear, Tibetan fox, red fox, red-spotted duck and white-shouldered eagle. The Northern Tibet Plateau Desert Biodiversity Nature Reserve is the largest and highest-altitude terrestrial desert wildlife nature reserve in the world, which is three times larger than the two largest wildlife reserves in the United States and four times larger than the largest wildlife reserve in Africa. It is also the strangest and most primitive nature reserve in the world.

(2) the idea of doing good and stopping evil and being kind to all beings.

As the saying goes, no fruit without cause, no cause without fruit. Tibetans restrain their words and deeds with karma and charity will, consciously and teach the younger generation to love everything around them that is conducive to human development and sincerely care for life for the future of mankind; Be compassionate and kind to the poor and weak, and avoid looting and demanding; Worship and dedication; Advocate harmony with all things in nature.

Stripping the veil of religion, dialectical analysis shows that there is no right or wrong in faith itself, but it has positive and negative duality because of the subject of faith. Bonism, as an original religious form of spiritual sustenance, is rooted in the hearts of Tibetan people with its concept of animism and immortality of soul. The formation and development of Xiangxiong civilization in the 4th century BC was mainly reflected in the rise of Bonism, which was a leap in the history of Tibetan cultural development, and made the Tibetan people become a nation with philosophical and theoretical thoughts earlier, laying the foundation for the gradual improvement of Tibetan Buddhist ideological system. Tibetan Buddhism not only contains the spirit of attaching importance to theory, speculation and philosophy, but also contains a wide range of moral standards. Among them, Buddhism's "ten good standards" include "release without killing", respect for all life, honesty, unity and other detailed provisions on people's words and deeds; There is also a code of conduct that advocates "caring for animals, protecting the environment and caring for nature" and so on. Although the practice of good dharma in Buddhism is to become a "Buddha", this process can be said to be a process of Xiu De's practice of good, full of fraternity and equality, altruism and dedication, firmness and tenacity, and also a process of tempering ideas and words and deeds that embody equality; To some extent, his thought of encouraging good karma has curbed people's behaviors of hurting others and destroying nature for selfish desires, thus consciously restraining and standardizing people's behaviors with internalized ideas, making people less inflated, more restrained, less demanding and more dedicated. Therefore, we should discriminate the traditional ethics with dialectical materialism and affirm the positive factors, which are also absorbed by the ethical thought of human sustainable development. It has important social significance.

This special living environment, moral fashion and customs of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau have produced and developed a universal social psychology that the whole people basically believe in religion, and also provided a unique cosmic model with a certain order for the people on the plateau, which has created a valuable character and a strong will to love and respect nature. The intangible protection of all living things in nature has enabled many rare animals on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau to survive and develop. According to the survey of scientific workers, "there are more than 200 kinds of animals and more than 500 kinds of birds living on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, among which 100 kinds of rare birds and animals live in no man's land" (a vast land with few people). The empty, remote and quiet environment makes no man's land "the largest natural zoo in the world". "It is understood that there are more than 70 species of birds and more than 20 species of mammals in the northern Tibetan Plateau. It has been preliminarily identified as the life form of national key protection and international endangered species, providing a rare place for studying the ecology, living habits, economic value, reproductive development, scientific value, ecological value and genetic value of rare animals endemic to plateau desert. In addition, there are 232 kinds of metal, nonmetal and solid fuel minerals in northern Tibet, and salt minerals are also extremely rich. There are more than 0/00 large and small salt lakes/kloc-,some of which are rare in mainland salt lakes at home and abroad, and the groundwater resources are extremely rich.

The kindness and fairness of the Tibetan people have protected the "largest" Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and "the only giant painting screen in the world", and the grandeur and charm of the alpine valleys have also deeply shocked the world-"It is not only a paradise on earth, but also a living human landscape. It is both illusory and real, where "the extremes of life can be seen". There is a rare ecosystem that breeds complex and rich vegetation types and flora. Biologists call it "the natural museum of vegetation types" and "the gene bank of mountain biological resources". Seeing the "unparalleled" beauty, "I can't help but send out" this scene should only exist in the sky, and people can smell a few. " . This is not only a wonderful masterpiece of nature, but also a wonderful return of nature!

Therefore, Tibetans on the plateau "have made two great contributions to our planet and all mankind." The first contribution is to preserve the natural ecological environment of the plateau for the earth by limiting development, so that it was not greatly damaged by human beings at least before the 20th century. Therefore, it has contributed to the protection of the natural environment of the plateau and the ecological environment of Asia as a whole. ..... The second contribution has created a rich spiritual culture and a cultural ecological environment that is highly coordinated with the plateau "(Yuan Wen, 2002: 67,68). It can't be said that under the guidance of the conscious restraint of human nature and the profound thought of love and altruism, we respect the precious snowy cultural spirit of nature. It is a great achievement of enriching human ecological civilization and highly consciously protecting the ecological environment.

Third, dialectical absorption, strengthening environmental protection and promoting Tibet through science and education.

With its unique geographical features, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has created the special emotional and personality characteristics of the Tibetan people-rough, bold, enthusiastic and simple. In the long-term struggle against the harsh environment, we have refined the lofty spiritual characteristics of perseverance, perseverance and courage to contribute, and formed the cultural characteristics of being good at innovation, advocating nature, showing rationality, kindness and tolerance everywhere.

(A) take its "essence" and discard its "dross"

Culture, like other things, is dual. 2 1 century will be an era in which information and economic knowledge will dominate, and at the same time, human beings also need rich spiritual wealth as a support. People in Xizang inevitably faces the challenge of the fast-developing times. They need to have a deeper understanding of the spiritual value of Tibetan culture and the rigorous and profound philosophical thought system, from which they can understand the characteristics of more contemporary spiritual culture, take its "essence" and discard its "dross", so that excellent ideas can become a positive living force to promote modernization and spiritual civilization construction, and their firm belief consciousness can be given new vitality and promoted to a new height. Serve Tibetan inhabited areas, make Tibetan inhabited areas gradually adapt to the development of the information age, realize self-improvement, self-transcendence and poverty alleviation as soon as possible, rationally develop and utilize unique natural resources, apply advanced science and technology to transform and protect nature, and let all animals and plants and human beings live in harmony under the same blue sky, treat everything well and benefit future generations.

(2) Strengthen ecological protection and promote Tibet through science and education.

China is a unified multi-ethnic country, especially the people of all ethnic groups who have lived in the western region for a long time. Although they have different living customs and regional concepts, they have a knowledge of * * *, and they hope that the mountains and rivers are magnificent and full of vitality. Therefore, how to protect the living environment of our homeland and let nature benefit people is the common aspiration of people of all ethnic groups. The central government has implemented the strategy of developing the western region and brought environmental protection into the legal track. The implementation of the large-scale development of the western region will integrate people's hearts, laws and humanistic customs in line with natural laws, guide all sectors of society to closely combine environmental protection with resource development according to law, carry out development on the premise of effective protection, and strengthen the close ties between the government and the people, which will not only help respect different beliefs and folk customs in various places, but also help implement the strategy of sustainable development and help Tibet by legal and scientific means.

Belief has a far-reaching influence on the social, economic, cultural, life and other fields in Tibetan inhabited areas. To develop Tibetan inhabited areas, we must establish a scientific world outlook, actively spread modern scientific and technological knowledge, and awaken people's enthusiasm and participation consciousness with facts. Only in this way can the overall development level of Tibetan inhabited areas be improved. We should vigorously develop basic education, let school-age children gradually accept new educational concepts, and cultivate the ideology of learning and loving science from an early age; We should also pay attention to infrastructure construction, strengthen the implementation and supervision of specific measures closely related to the vital interests of the people, such as life medical insurance, so that the economy of Tibet's ethnic minority areas can achieve rapid development with the strong support and concern of relevant departments at all levels, thus further improving the ideological consciousness of the broad masses of people to strengthen spiritual civilization construction through their own efforts and making them strong supporters of accelerating the realization of the strategic concept of "rejuvenating Tibet through science and education."

Arm the masses with Deng Xiaoping's Theory of Building Socialism with Chinese characteristics, educate them to establish a correct outlook on life, values and world outlook, improve their understanding of developing agriculture and animal husbandry through science and technology, and constantly improve their ideological and cultural quality. With the continuous development of social productive forces, the popularization, deepening and mastery of scientific knowledge, the perfection of various laws and regulations, and the improvement of economic living standards, people's minds are gradually liberated. The renewal of ideas will make the creativity contained in the people play an effective role. Therefore, for the society in Tibetan areas, renewing ideas will become a great force to promote the construction of two major civilizations; Learning science and applied science will become an important mode to improve productivity and develop modern society in Tibetan areas.

About the author: Suo (1964-), female, Tibetan, Gannan, Gansu, lecturer of Tibetan Language College of Northwest University for Nationalities, and her research field is Tibetan culture. (Tibet College of Northwest University for Nationalities, Lanzhou, Gansu 730030)