Eco-spiritual and economic perspectives in Bhutan’s Haa district

Abstract

Nature can be interpreted and valued from multidimensional perspectives. The Three Brothers Mountains in Haa district in Bhutan is one example in which nature is looked upon from multivalent perspectives, including economic and spiritual perspectives. Situating my ethnographic research in Haa, as part of a larger ethnographic project, uncovered the existence of conflicting perceptions of the Three Brothers Mountains. This chapter firstly explores the presence of eco-spiritual perceptions of the mountains in which people see the environment in terms of its spiritual essence and capabilities. This perception also conjures the concept of deities’ presence in the environment, which has, as a corollary, influenced environmental-friendly strategies for conservation. Eco-spiritual perceptions have prevailed for generations, however, with rapid development, the perceptions of the younger generations are changing, and they have started looking at the mountains as a potential source of income; this is broadly conceived of as the economic perspective. I compare these two different perceptions with the view from Government of Bhutan and in the process engage with Eduardo Viveiros de Castro’s Amazonian case and Arturo Escobar’s work on earth thinking and ontological occupation to describe the tensions between them. I discuss the relational ontology present in eco-theological perceptions and the presence of inter-generations differences in economic perceptions. I further discuss the shift of perceptions as an inter-generational, ontological and occupational difference in relation with the environment.