Summary Environmental destruction has been a big problem to many Western Industrial countries. In seeking a solution to the ecological crisis, many people turned to Eastern religions, especially Buddhism. The core of its teachings rejects dualism and anthropocentrism and assumes the ultimate oneness of all of the nature's components. The enlightenment of insentient beings taught by the T'ien-t'ai School demonstrates the ultimate reverence and respect for nature.
The first part of this article deals with Buddhahood of the plant world. The two most important Chinese Buddhists concerned with this theory were Chi-t' sang of the San Lun School and Chan-jan of the T'ien-t'ai School. I discuss their thought and different viewpoints.
The second part deals with the philosophy of Aldo Leopold's environmental ethics and Arne Naess's deep ecology. I show how the principles of their philosophy find a powerful source of support in the concept of Buddhahood in the plant world.
