Abstract
In the midst of the earth’s pressing climate catastrophe, the nexus between ecology and religion merits further investigation. In this article, I attempt to illuminate certain important aspects of this nexus by analyzing various Hindu eco-theological motifs, with a particular focus on those of the Hindu religious tradition known as Caitanya Vaiṣṇavism. I will compare and contrast the eco-theological motifs of Caitanya Vaiṣṇavism with those of other notable Hindu religious traditions and texts. Ultimately, I attempt to demonstrate that certain Caitanya Vaiṣṇava eco-theological motifs can, when properly interpreted and applied, serve as valuable environmentally oriented conceptual resources. I also argue that these eco-theological motifs can offset some of the conceptual pitfalls that limit the effectiveness of various pan-Hindu eco-theological motifs as conceptual resources for environmental amelioration. Although the Caitanya Vaiṣṇava eco-theological framework is not without conceptual hurdles, I nevertheless maintain that Caitanya Vaiṣṇava eco-theological motifs are worthy of further reflection.
Highlights
In order to understand the urgency of improving the earth’s ecological domains, I will briefly discuss the gravity of the current ecological crisis
Journal of Dharma Studies (2021) 4:5–27 the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change (IPCC)’s Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) by stating that “if the world doesn’t do anything about mitigating emissions of greenhouse gases and the extent of climate change continues to increase, the very social stability of human systems could be at stake” (Quoted in Semeniuk, 2014)
As governmental policies become increasingly oriented toward the physical sciences and engineering, and as environmentally conscientious individuals strive to discover technological innovations that can address myriad ecological issues, one may question the importance of invoking the resources of religious traditions in the fight for ecological betterment
Summary
One Hindu theological leitmotif with positive environmental implications is the divinization of nature. He explains that the CVV presents a unity between God and the world since māyā, or the entirety of physical nature is not ontologically disconnected from God but is instead one of God’s energies (śaktis) (Okita, 2009: 10; 13), and this is a view that I argue is closely aligned with the theological framework of Śrī Vaiṣṇavism Such a view of unity entails that nature should not be viewed as a separate entity from God. It should be noted that the BhP positively values māyā as a metaphysically and cosmologically creative force and does not devalue māyā by viewing it as an illusion that is meant to be dissipated once an individual attains soteriological perfection (Gupta, 2015: 71-72). I hope that the CVV’s eco-theological motifs that I have delineated far can spark further deliberation on how the CVV might prevent such challenges
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