Abstract of paper given at Buddhism and Ecology conference:
Hakuin Zenji's phrase from the "Song of Zazen," "This very place is the Lotus Land. This very body, the Buddha" is a a starting point for a discussion about water, water pollution, and wastewater treatment. How much water is there and how much doe we use? Where does it come from and where does it go? A brief slide presentation will show the water/wastewater situation in various parts of the world. Then a simple, low-cost, innovative treatment technology will be demonstrated. The water/wastewater problem of the coming century can only be solved through the application of such technologies, but not by technology alone. If Buddhist study and practice embraces this very place, this very body, then does it also engage this pollution, this population explosion, the tools of science and technology to obtain this solution? If not, what is the alternative?