Forest Threnody

Frog Calls from Borneo Primary Rainforest:

The frog calls were recorded in Danum Valley in eastern Sabah, Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. Currently, Danum is one of the last remaining lowland forest patches in Sabah, as all of Borneo is rapidly being developed for oil palm plantations. Organisms of all kinds are being squeezed into increasingly smaller areas as oil palm plantations expand, and Danum provides an invaluable opportunity to learn as much as possible about tropical biodiversity in its natural state before it’s wiped out. These two frogs are especially interesting for their unique behavior and morphology. Rhacophorus appendiculatus has what appears to be aggressive territorial behavior, uncommon among amphibians, which it displays during calling. Rhacophorus dulitensis has transparent green skin that makes its veins appear turquoise, as well as extensive webbing and skin flaps along its limbs that help it glide. If we don’t stop rainforest destruction, there are countless fascinating species that will go extinct before they’re even known to science.

— Jennifer A. Sheridan, Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies, Yale-New University of Singapore College,

an Envirolab Asia partner institution.

Short Program Note:

This Pali verses come to us from a collection of early Buddhist scriptures left by female monastics, entitled Therīgāthā, collected over 2000 years ago. This particular pair of lines in ‘old āryā’ or ‘musical metre’ is attributed variously to ‘a certain unknown bhikkunī’ or to Sumaṅgalamātā (literally “Mother of the Auspicious One”). The composer and I chose this verse to end Forest Threnody because it distills a very old connection between the spiritual formation and nature, in the symbol of a cherished tree. The verse also prompts us to consider the human relationship with the environment over 2000 years ago, at a time when humans had not yet created the catastrophic change in the world around us that we now confronting. The poet hints at the false dichotomy of self and environment: the ascetic loses herself in the bliss of meditation. In fact, although this text issues from early Buddhism, in many world traditions, one sign of a successful contemplative practice involves dissolving this duality: the self relinquishes normalized boundaries with surroundings. This core of Buddhist teaching, anatta (in Sanskrit: anātman), means literally ‘not self’ and its realization is a key goal for practioners. Time and time again, when beings reach this kind of enlightenment, this achievement has deep repercussions for society. Furthermore, for those who achieve anatta, environmentalist goals reflect selfless activity for the benefit of all beings.