The World on Fire: A Buddhist Response to the Environmental Crisis
This paper identifies and responds to the four main objections raised against Buddhist environmentalism. It argues that none of these objections is insurmountable and that, in fact, Buddhists have developed numerous concepts, arguments, and practices which could prove useful for dealing with the mos...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-07-01
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| Series: | Religions |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/11/8/381 |
| _version_ | 1797561527200382976 |
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| author | Katie Javanaud |
| author_facet | Katie Javanaud |
| author_sort | Katie Javanaud |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper identifies and responds to the four main objections raised against Buddhist environmentalism. It argues that none of these objections is insurmountable and that, in fact, Buddhists have developed numerous concepts, arguments, and practices which could prove useful for dealing with the most pressing environmental problems we have created. Buddhism is sometimes described by its critics as too detached from worldly concerns to respond to the environmental crisis but the successes of Engaged Buddhism demonstrate otherwise. Although halting climate change will require inter-governmental co-operation and immediate action, we should not underestimate the necessity of grassroots movements for achieving lasting change in our attitudes and behaviours. If meditation can awaken us to the fact of ecological inter-connectedness and to the ultimate drivers of climate change (e.g., greediness and a misplaced sense of entitlement) it can also help us reconnect with nature and expand our circle of moral concern to include plants, animals, and the wider environment. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T18:15:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9e26a6f915ca4cf9a3e35668a2ab0db5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T18:15:11Z |
| publishDate | 2020-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Religions |
| spelling | doaj.art-9e26a6f915ca4cf9a3e35668a2ab0db52023-11-20T07:45:21ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442020-07-0111838110.3390/rel11080381The World on Fire: A Buddhist Response to the Environmental CrisisKatie Javanaud0Department of Religion, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USAThis paper identifies and responds to the four main objections raised against Buddhist environmentalism. It argues that none of these objections is insurmountable and that, in fact, Buddhists have developed numerous concepts, arguments, and practices which could prove useful for dealing with the most pressing environmental problems we have created. Buddhism is sometimes described by its critics as too detached from worldly concerns to respond to the environmental crisis but the successes of Engaged Buddhism demonstrate otherwise. Although halting climate change will require inter-governmental co-operation and immediate action, we should not underestimate the necessity of grassroots movements for achieving lasting change in our attitudes and behaviours. If meditation can awaken us to the fact of ecological inter-connectedness and to the ultimate drivers of climate change (e.g., greediness and a misplaced sense of entitlement) it can also help us reconnect with nature and expand our circle of moral concern to include plants, animals, and the wider environment.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/11/8/381Engaged Buddhisminter-dependencycontentmentclimate changeenvironmental ethics |
| spellingShingle | Katie Javanaud The World on Fire: A Buddhist Response to the Environmental Crisis Religions Engaged Buddhism inter-dependency contentment climate change environmental ethics |
| title | The World on Fire: A Buddhist Response to the Environmental Crisis |
| title_full | The World on Fire: A Buddhist Response to the Environmental Crisis |
| title_fullStr | The World on Fire: A Buddhist Response to the Environmental Crisis |
| title_full_unstemmed | The World on Fire: A Buddhist Response to the Environmental Crisis |
| title_short | The World on Fire: A Buddhist Response to the Environmental Crisis |
| title_sort | world on fire a buddhist response to the environmental crisis |
| topic | Engaged Buddhism inter-dependency contentment climate change environmental ethics |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/11/8/381 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT katiejavanaud theworldonfireabuddhistresponsetotheenvironmentalcrisis AT katiejavanaud worldonfireabuddhistresponsetotheenvironmentalcrisis |