Religion and Ecology in India and South East Asia

What part can Hindu and Buddhist traditions play in resolving the ecological problems facing India and South East Asia? David Gosling's exciting study, based on extensive fieldwork, is of global significance: the creation of more sustainable relationships between people and the natural world is one of the most urgent social and environmental problems of the new millennium. David Gosling looks at the religions historically and from a contemporary perspective. Religion And Ecology In India And Southeast Asia Looks At The Part The Hindu And Buddhist Traditions Could Play In Promoting More Just And Sustainable Relationships Between People And The Natural World. The Ecological Potential Of These Traditions Is Considered From Both A Historical Perspective, And In Relation To Their Contemporary Expressions. From This Standpoint, Transformations Between The Past And The Present Are Shown To Offer The Most Fertile Possibilities For Improvement. Thus India's Sacred Groves, The Conservation Of Medicinal Herbs By Thai Monks Compensating For Biodiversity Loss, Hindu Scientists Acknowledging Vedanta In Exploring The Possibility Of Pain In Plants, And Thai Lay Nuns Redefining Their Roles In Line With Tradition And Modernity, Illustrate Ways In Which The Hindu And Buddhist Traditions Can Improve Ecological Relationships. David Gosling's Arguments Are Based On His Fieldwork In The Region And Are Framed By The Socio-political Context Of Religious Change In India And Southeast Asia, Where It Is Maintained That The Development-led Analysis Of Amartya Sen, With Its Emphasis On Participative Education, Healthcare And A Reduction Of The Gender Imbalance, Is A Crucial Prerequisite For Social And Environmental Improvement. Though Regional In Scope, This Is A Study Of Global Significance, Considering The Most Urgent Social And Environmental Problems Of The New Millennium.--jacket. Introduction. -- Ecology And Hindu Tradition. -- Ecology And Modern India. -- Struggles For The Forests. -- Ecology And Buddhism. -- Thailand: A Case Study. -- India Since Independency. -- Signs Of Hope. -- Expanding Our Horizons. -- Appendix A: Medicinal Plants Identified In Thailand. -- Appendix B: Indian Non-governmental Organizations. David L. Gosling With A Foreword By Ninian Smart. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [201]-204) And Index. Examines the part Hinduism and Buddhism could play in resolving ecological problems facing the Indian sub-continent and South East Asia. Based on extensive fieldwork and placed in the context of religious change in the region.