Dharma and ecology of Hindu communities
Subtitle: sustenance and sustainability
By: Pankaj Jain
Series: Ashgate new critical thinking in religion, theology and biblical studies; Ashgate new critical thinking in religion, theology, and biblical studies
Publisher: Ashgate
Published: 2011
Place of publication: Farnham, Surrey, England; Burlington, VT
Language: eng
Number of pages: 213
ISBN-13: 9781409405917; 9781409405924
Subjects: Social life and customs; Ecology; Nature; Sustainable development; Religious life and customs; Environmentalism; Natural history; Hinduism; Customs and practices
Description: In Indic religious traditions, a number of rituals and myths exist in which the environment is revered. Despite this, India's natural resources are under heavy pressure with its growing economy and exploding population. Presenting the texts of Bishnois, their environmental history, and their contemporary activism; investigating the Swadhyaya movement from an ecological perspective; and exploring the Bhil communities and their Sacred Groves, this book applies a non-Western hermeneutical model to interpret the religious traditions of Indic communities.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: 1. Introduction; title: 2. Theoretical Propositions for Indic Traditions and Ecology; title: 3. The Swadhyaya Movement; title: 4. The Bishnoi Community; title: 5. Sacred Groves of Bhils; title: 6. Modern Organizations Adapting to Ecology; title: 7. Dharma as Religious and Environmental Ethos; title: 8. Conclusions; title: Appendices. A. Translation of Jambhesvara's sabdas; title: B. Hindu Myths in Jambhesvara's Sabdas; title: C. Bishnoi Saṃskāras ("Rites of Passage"); title: D. Translation of Jambhesvara Darsana by Brahmanand Sharma; title: E. Athavale's Ecological Inspirations; title: F. History of Benesvara, a Bhil pilgrimage center.