Two Wealthy Men Who Destroyed the Forest and the Bitter Law of Conservation

The afternoon air at a small temple in the Ba Ria - Vung Tau countryside was profoundly still. The sound of sutra chanting drifted from afar, unamplified by microphones, blending the rhythmic beating of the wooden fish and the steady voices of the monks with the wind rustling through the tree canopies. In this serene space, Most Venerable Thich Chan Quang began his dharma talk with a real-life story that startled many listeners into deep reflection.

He recounted how, a few years ago, news spread on social media about an African tribe with a peculiar custom: washing their hair with cow urine. When a cow stopped and raised its tail, signaling it was about to relieve itself, they would bow their heads to catch the warm stream for bathing. While this initially caused shock and disgust among listeners, a surprising fact emerged. All the rivers surrounding this tribe’s habitat were crystal clear and beautiful, teeming with playful fish. In contrast, in our modern cities, where people use fragrant soaps and expensive chemical shampoos to maintain a polished appearance, the rivers flowing through urban areas are black, foul-smelling, and lifeless.

"Whatever moves forward must push something else backward," the teacher emphasized, his voice dropping with philosophical weight. "To achieve personal comfort and cleanliness, we leave behind dirtiness and suffering for the environment. This is the bitter law of conservation of the universe."

The teacher then guided the audience to a more specific story directly related to karma in the new technological era. There were two wealthy men who started from identical positions. Both traveled to Laos, using high-powered saws to devastate primary forests and harvest precious timber for profit. With the speed of machinery, they felled in a single day what ancient people would have taken a month to cut down. Their assets skyrocketed, making them incredibly rich.

However, when their past blessings from merit were exhausted, karmic retribution began to knock on their doors. The first man, despite his wealth, always felt uneasy seeing the barren mountains and eroding lands. One day, witnessing the poverty of local communities, he decided to withdraw a large portion of his fortune to build a small temple, creating a spiritual refuge for the community. Although his business later faced obstacles and his health declined due to illness—a form of mild karmic consequence—he maintained peace in his mind. His final years, though no longer glamorous, were filled with hope and tranquility.

Conversely, the second wealthy man chose a different path. Instead of cultivating his character or helping the community ethically, he used the money from deforestation to build a grand football academy, aiming to polish his reputation and satisfy his ambition for power. He believed that fame and massive assets could obscure his sins. But the law of cause and effect never errs. Within a few years, his career collapsed completely. Buried under debt, abandoned by partners, and separated from his family, he spent his final days sitting in an empty villa with hollow eyes, trapped in utter despair. Both men committed similar negative karma, but their outcomes differed based on how they handled their remaining blessings and their attitude toward repentance.

The teacher further explained the accelerated mechanism of cause and effect in the modern age. In the past, cutting trees by hand accumulated the sin of killing slowly, and karmic results arrived gradually. Today, using machinery causes terrible destruction of nature, so karmic consequences arrive rapidly, not waiting for the next life. Wealth comes quickly, but vanishes just as fast. Those reborn in heavenly realms or falling into hellish states often do so because they utilize or abuse technology to create merit or commit sins with high intensity.

The Meaning of the Story

This narrative illustrates the lesson of "New Era – New Good and Evil." Technology and modern lifestyles have altered the structure of virtue and vice. They offer opportunities to generate great merit, such as sharing Dharma teachings via the internet or developing eco-friendly products. Yet, they also pose risks of creating heavy negative karma, such as destroying the environment, causing gaming addiction, or releasing toxic waste. The universal law of conservation reminds us that every personal convenience has a price paid in collective harm. Therefore, in this new era, every action carries multiplied weight. It demands that humans remain mindful, carefully weighing immediate benefits against long-term consequences, and transforming technological energy into wholesome deeds to avoid tragedies like the collapse experienced by the second wealthy man.

Compiled from the dharma talk of Most Venerable Thich Chan Quang