Religion and Ecology in India and Southeast

Religion and Ecology in India and Southeast Asiaexamines how Hindu and Buddhist traditions could play a crucial role in solving ecological problems in those regions. Considering these traditions from both a historical and contemporary perspective, Gosling bases his arguments on extensive fieldwork and frames it by the socio-political context of religious change in India and Southeast Asia.

David L. Gosling trained as a nuclear physicist and more recently was the first Spalding Fellow in Religions at Clare Hall, University of Cambridge, where he is currently based. He was Director of Church and Society at the World Council of Churches in Geneva and has published extensively on environmental issues in south Asia

List of figures

x

Foreword

xi

Acknowledgements

xii

Introduction

1

(15)

The Asian viewpoint

2

(2)

Ecology

4

(2)

Religion

6

(2)

Methodology

8

(2)

Main arguments

10

(3)

Religion at Rio

13

(3)

Ecology and Hindu tradition

16

(18)

Modes and habitats

17

(1)

Nomads and settlers

18

(3)

The early Vedic period

21

(3)

The Upanishads

24

(3)

The post-Vedic period

27

(2)

A contemporary approach

29

(5)

Ecology and modern India

34

(17)

Extracting resources

35

(1)

The Reformers

36

(4)

The impact of science

40

(2)

Indian scientists

42

(1)

Jagadish Chandra Bose

43

(2)

Gandhian ethics

45

(6)

Struggles for the forests

51

(17)

The Himalayas

52

(2)

Colonial forestry

54

(2)

Early opposition

56

(2)

Chipko and Appiko

58

(3)

Sunderlal Bahuguna

61

(2)

Anna Hazare

63

(5)

Ecology and Buddhism

68

(18)

Early Buddhism

69

(3)

The Mahayana

72

(2)

The spread of Buddhism

74

(2)

Southeast Asia

76

(2)

Ladakh

78

(4)

Bhutan

82

(4)

Thailand: a case study

86

(24)

Environmental parameters

88

(1)

Ashoka's legacy

89

(2)

Monastic reforms

91

(1)

Buddhadasa Bhikkhu

92

(4)

Social and environmental activities

96

(4)

Urban sects and movements

100

(3)

The culture of gender

103

(7)

India since Independence

110

(26)

The secular state

111

(2)

`Abolish poverty'

113

(3)

Patterns of resource use

116

(2)

Environmental politics

118

(4)

The Hindu Right

122

(4)

Restructuring society

126

(5)

Beyond liberalization

131

(5)

Signs of hope

136

(23)

Global-level initiatives

137

(3)

Personal initiatives

140

(8)

North India

143

(2)

South India

145

(3)

Points of view

148

(11)

Karan Singh

148

(2)

M. C. Mehta

150

(3)

Amartya Sen

153

(2)

Sacred groves

155

(4)

Expanding our horizons

159

(17)

Priorities and perceptions

159

(1)

Religious misconceptions

160

(2)

Continuities

162

(3)

Transformations

165

(4)

Public-interest science

169

(2)

Environmentalists at the crossroads

171

(2)

Secular India

173

(3)

Appendix A: Medicinal plants identified in Thailand

176

(5)

Appendix B: Indian non-governmental organizations

181

(7)

Select glossary

188

(2)

Notes

190

(11)

Select bibliography

201

(4)

Index

205

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Religion and Ecology in India and Southeast Asia

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials

FREE SHIPPING

Rent More, Save More! Use code: BBRENTAL

5% off 1 book, 7% off 2 books, 10% off 3+ books

Religion and Ecology in India and Southeast Asia

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials

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