To the beating of drums, travelers on the Interfaith Kyoto Pilgrimage walked down High Street on Tuesday, Nov. 4 en route to New York City. Organized by Religious Witness for the Earth—a Buddhist organization devoted to preserving the environment—the pilgrimage will culminate on Nov. 12 with a protest at the United Nations in support of the Kyoto Protocol.
The Kyoto Protocol was signed by 83 nations, including the United States, as a commitment to work together to address the dangers of global warming.“The Kyoto Protocol was signed five years ago and to this date the government hasn’t done anything to ratify the treaty,” said Brother Kato Shonin, a Buddhist monk of the Nipponzan Myohoji order and leader of the walk. “I believe that some people do not understand the seriousness of global warming. It is important for people to realize that we have to do something to reduce and change our lifestyle, because our way of life is causing this problem. By this walk we also hope that we are able to express our sorry that the government does not respect the agreement.”
The protestors departed from the Peace Pagoda in Leverett, Massachusetts on Oct. 31 and walked an average of 17 miles each day, chanting prayers and beating on prayer drums along the way.
“[They beat drums] to keep their spirits up”, said Diana Garcia ’06, who joined them from Crowell Concert Hall and walked with them to Community Service House while beating one of their drums.
Jun Yasuda, a monk from the Pagoda, has taken part in other walks before and has traversed the United States five times.
“In all my walks, I always hope for a good outcome, and I wish that through what we’re doing people will be able to see the problem in society, how that contributes to global warming and how it will affect our world,” Yasuda said.
The Wesleyan students who braved the rainy weather to join the walkers provide evidence that some on campus see the problem of global warming. Students led the walkers to Community Service House where they were fed and housed for the evening.
Upon their arrival at Community Service House, the walkers chanted greetings to honor their hosts, then settled in as students provided them with dinner and hot drinks. As part of their stay, the walkers gave a presentation of their beliefs to students, followed by an open dialogue.
According to Shonin, environmental protection is a spiritual matter for which every person is responsible. “There is a Buddhist saying that says ‘the weight of a grain of rice is as heavy as a big mountain,” Shonin said. “We are always part of the problem and we have to realize that we have to change ourselves in order to change the world”
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Shonin’s message resonated among many of the students who hosted the walkers. “It’s an individual’s responsibility to step up– for our bodies to carry this message,” said Ethna Riley ’06, the organizer of the walkers stay on campus. “I hope that this will inspire the people who come, when they see the walkers they will see these people are truly activists of the highest level who are able to dedicate their souls for a better world, and that is truly unique.”
Emily Hamilton, one of the walkers to join on the pilgrimage, expressed the hope that people would open their eyes to the issue of global warming. “A book that has helped me much is ‘God’s Last Offer’ written by Ed Ayers,” Hamilton said. “He writes about the Kyoto Agreement and explains to what prevented it from taking place”.
The pilgrimage’s spiritually based approach to political activism interested some of the student hosts.
“This whole event is an extraordinary example of the intersection of the spiritual, political and personal self to help the earth and raise political awareness,” Riley said. “Protests are not just political rallies and administration. In truth, the way we deal with an issue is the way it manifests itself.”
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