Nature, Culture and Religion at the Crossroads of Asia

"This book explores how ethnic groups living in the Himalayan regions understand nature and culture. The first part addresses the opposition between nature and culture in Asia's major religious traditions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and Shamanism. The second part brings together specialists of different representative groups living in the heterogeneous Himalayan region. They examine how these indigenous groups perceive their world. This includes understanding their mythic past, in particular, the place of animals and spirits in the world of humans as they see it and the role of ritual in the everyday lives of these people. The book takes into account how these various perceptions of the Himalayan peoples are shaped by a globalized world. The volume thus provides new ways of viewing the relationship between humans and their environment."--Provided by publisher Cover 1 Half Title 2 Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Table of Contents 6 Introduction 9 Part I Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and Shamanism 38 At the Articulation of Nature and Artifice: The Rite 39 Nature and Culture in Tibetan Philosophy 55 Allah, Saints and Men in Islam: Diverging Conceptions of Nature in Theology, Mysticism and Law 67 Variations in Shamanist Siberia 93 Part II Himalayan Case Studies 124 To Be More Natural than Others: Indigenous Self-determination and Hinduism in the Himalayas 125 Subjectivity and Governance in the Himalayan Environment 163 Political Aspects of the Territorial Cult among the Mewahang Rai 197 ‘Wilderness of the Civilization’: Knowledge and Perception of the Jad Pastoral Community 229 Love and Vengeance in Indus Kohistan 251 Conceptions on Tibetan Relics 267 Plant Growth Processes and Animal Health in Northwest Yunnan 291 Terrace Cultivation and Mental Landscapes in Southern Yunnan 325 The Sacred Confluence, Between Nature and Culture 351 Contributors 377 Index 381