Throughout the centuries mankind has displayed the Western attitude that nature must be conquered. In attempting to vanquish nature, our natural environment has been gradually destroyed. Because of man's attitude toward our planet, the earth's capacity to sustain life is jeopardized. In the process of attempting to dominate nature, man has placed himself in danger of losing his humanity. However, Eastern religions and philosophies can provide the West with ways to peacefully coexist with the world. One of the biggest lessons learned from both Hinduism and Buddhism is that man is not separate from nature; he is a part of nature and no clear distinction can be extracted between himself and his surroundings.
             Buddha stated that the world is led by the mind. The three sources of suffering, greed, hatred, and delusion produce pollution within our surroundings and our bodies. However, generosity, compassion and wisdom have the opposite affect by producing purity. This concept is best confirmed in Buddhism's five natural laws, panca niyamadhamma. According to the five natural laws, the type of moral force at work shapes the world. If immorality grips society, humankind and nature deteriorate, if morality reigns, the quality of life and nature improve. The five natural laws consist of: physical laws, biological laws, psychological laws, moral laws, and casual laws. In essence, the five natural laws state that, "the physical environment of any given area conditions the growth and development of its biological component." In turn, the five natural laws affect the thought pattern of the people interacting with the physical environment. Therefore, these five laws articulate that mankind and nature are bound together in a reciprocal fundamental relationship; a change in one brings about a change in the other.
             The rain metaphor for the teachings of the Buddha is a powerful metaphor for the equanimity of...