MADIKERI: Buddhism has a profound connection with the natural world — a bond rooted in the very moment Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment beneath the canopy of a Bodhi tree.
This reverence for nature is reflected in Buddhist monasteries, which serve as tranquil, spiritually-charged sanctuaries. And deep within Southern India lies the Karma Kargyue Monastery, a premier example of spirituality intertwined with environmental stewardship.
Nestled in the heart of a 100-acre forest zone, the monastery has evolved beyond a place of worship to become a vital hub for conservation and ecological harmony.
Established under the aegis of Bodhi Sattva Trust, the monastery is in the Tibetan Refugee Camp at Bylakuppe in Mysuru district. The trust also runs a Gurukul institution named Eco Nalanda School, where monks are taught to lead sustainable practices along with the routine academics.
What is special about this monastery is that it is home to over 700 indigenous tree species. The trust was established in 1995 with an ambition to initiate a conservation programme. Established by Guru Karma Samtenlingpa Rinpoche, the trust is leading a conservation and nature rejuvenation mission even as it has grand plans to promote its conservation initiative for a sustainable living.
“Buddha is the ambassador of peace and we at Bodhi Sattva want to share spiritual science,” explains Guru Karma Samtenlingpa Rinpoche, the founder of the trust.
He goes back in time and retells the story of his inspiration to start such a massive conservation project. Son of Maha Yogi Kazung, Karma Rinpoche was born in Bylakuppe and he calls this place his Karma Bhoomi. As a child, he grew up amidst nature even as his grandfather was his first inspiration.
“My grandfather, a great yogi who meditated in Mt Kailash, was a nature lover. After the communist invasion of Tibet in 1959, my grandparents and father moved to Bylakuppe. And whenever my grandfather was here, he always spent time meditating and creating spiritual art atop a mango tree. He spent most of his time atop the tree and only came down to eat,” he says.
According to Karma Rinpoche, his house had a large orchard and all kitchen items were grown in the backyard. He said it was where he found his calling towards conservation.
After he graduated from the Gurukul in 1995, he established the trust to start the conservation project. However, the path was not easy. A youngster then, Karma Rinpoche did not have a proper plan for the project and he started off by planting saplings that he received for free from government departments. A silver oak sapling planted in 1995 still stands as a testimony to his conservation journey that began in a small manner at the monastery.
“The only ‘sathya’ I knew was surrendering to Mother Nature and Mother Nature is the only true Dharma. My conservation story started beside the then small temple of Karma Kargyue Monastery built using Mangalore tiles,” he says.
After meditating in this temple, he used to head out to plant saplings. He travelled across the globe seeking support to promote his vision and his journey introduced him to D Kupendra Reddy, former MP, who has led many conservation initiatives, including lake conservation projects in Bengaluru. Karma Rinpoche’s conservation journey led him to Dr Yellappa Reddy, a well-known conservationist, who helped shape the Bodhi Sattva Conservation project.
“We both shared the same vision for conservation and a month after our meeting, he visited the monastery,” he recalls, explaining that till his visit, the conservation project was lagging due to unscientific management. Dr Yellappa Reddy scrutinised the entire area, surveyed the land, conducted soil tests and even identified the indigenous species of flora that existed in the region. While several saplings had been planted in the region randomly, over 400 indigenous saplings were planted after Dr Yellappa Reddy’s visit.
Sharing that this happened in 2006, Karma Rinpoche explains that monks in the monastery were part of the project and walked miles carrying buckets of water to nurture these plants. While the trust now has a rainwater harvesting unit and a drip irrigation unit, the challenges they faced initially were a test turned into a testimony.
“Rainwater harvesting was planned by Prof Ravi Kumar from Mysuru and Dr Chandrashekar from Kerala Forest Science Institute became a horticulture advisor. All these scientists, including Dr Yellappa Reddy, did not take a single rupee for their efforts towards conservation,” says Karma Rinpoche.
The trust has planted 700 species of indigenous tree saplings and aims to plant 1,500 more. Karma Rinpoche has a vision to make Bodhi Sattva and Eco Nalanda, a small ecology arboretum learning centre, so that conservationists can easily replicate the concept. The trust is now involved in constructing a model house near the monastery to promote the concept of sustainable living. “Around this house, we will develop an orchard, a garden for kitchen needs and plant ayurveda saplings for daily needs. We will also build a ‘Happy Cow Temple’ where we will introduce ‘Malnad Gidda’, the indigenous cattle breed, and promote a sustainable lifestyle,” he says.
At Eco Nalanda, several tree species, including those connecting with the concept of ‘Sathyam Shivam Sundarm’, and several ayurvedic saplings are being nurtured. The trust has developed a Nakshatra Vana, Raashi Vana and Navagraha Vana plantation.
The 100-acre conservation project is in the centre of the 5,000-acre Tibetan Camp in Bylakuppe and it has become a resting place for wild elephants. “The region is known for elephant menace. Elephant herds are often chased from one estate to another. However, Eco Nalanda is like a guesthouse for elephants. With fodder and water aplenty, the elephants often enter this place and return to their home forest,” he says.