Hindu Views of Nature and the Environment

Coward, Harold

doi:10.1007/978-94-017-0149-5_21

Cited by 14 publications

(8 citation statements)

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“…Second, Hindu texts stress the cosmic unity between various living creatures, nature, and the earth seen in the Rig Veda (Coward, 2003). Though a “brahmanical model,” the interconnectedness of all beings is a foundation for an indigenous form of environmentalism for India (Jain, 2011; Nelson, 1998).…”

Section: Against the Odds: Inserting Dharma In The Curriculummentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Narayanan, 1997). Landscapes are frequently associated with scenes from mythology and often imbued with divinity (Jain, 2011; Mawdsley, 2004, 2005) There are a number of reverential depictions of features of the landscape (earth, trees, rivers, and mountains) as a goddess, mother, nourisher, and so on, which means damage to nature constitutes a sin (Chapple & Tucker, 2000; Coward, 2003). A clear example, appearing in Darlymple (2006, p. 1), vividly describes the legends that link landscapes with divinity:This hillock here was a demon in the form of a giant snake who tried to devour the temple; that rock was an evil elephant who attempted to trample the town’s Brahmins to death before being turned to stone by Lord Shiva; the river there was created by Lord Sundareshvara to quench the thirst of one of his wedding guests, who had developed an unbearable craving for water after too much salty rice.…”

Section: Against the Odds: Inserting Dharma In The Curriculummentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Because religious ethics can endorse discrimination based on race, caste, and religion and promotes superstitions, understanding the risks of using religious ethics in plural societies involves a focus on the sociological dimensions of religious nationalism (in this case Hindu nationalism) and developing a theological sensitivity to the nuances of its ethics. For instance, it is necessary to understand the implications of securing human rights and ecology using tenets of Hinduism like dharma, karma , and, samsara (Chapple & Tucker, 2000; Coward, 2003; V. Narayanan, 1997; Sharma, 2010).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Religious Ethics: An Antidote for Religious Nationalism

Poruthiyil

2017

Business & Society

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Social movements driven by a combination of religious nationalism and economic fundamentalism are globally grabbing the levers of political, economic, and intellectual control. The consequence is a policy climate premised on polarization in which inequality and destruction of the natural environment are condoned. This creates demands on key academic institutions like business schools, with stakeholders who are complicit in the sustenance of these social movements. Scholars in these schools have an opportunity to respond through curricula that facilitate reflection on the ideological preferences of such groups under their influence. However, stakeholders influenced by religious nationalism tend to reject the premises of liberal secular vocabulary as elitist or alien and hence suspicious. This article considers a teaching strategy to instill values of equality and respect for nature among the stakeholders by grounding curriculums in the tenets of the same religion valorized by the social movements. The consequences of such a strategy is discussed through its application to the business curriculums taught in India, where a regressive social movement with totalitarian pretensions— Hindutva—combined with neoliberalism has secured unparalleled power. Elements of this strategy could inform educators in other democratic societies facing similar challenges.

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Section: Against the Odds: Inserting Dharma In The Curriculummentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Against the Odds: Inserting Dharma In The Curriculummentioning

confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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Religious Ethics: An Antidote for Religious Nationalism

Poruthiyil

2017

Business & Society

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“…The Vedic hymns have highlighted the creative coexistence of man and nature, which gave rise to enlarging consciousness. The hymns suggested that human life is experienced as a microcosm of the universe and in continuity with the cosmos (Coward, 2003). This is highlighted in what Rgveda says in the famous Nasadiya hymn that the wise found the bonds of being in nonbeing (sato bandhum asati niravindan hridi pratishya kavohyo manisha).…”

Section: ''Bonds Of Being In Non-being'': Unitive View Of Consciousne...mentioning

confidence: 99%

The character of creativity: The vedic perspective.

Raina¹

2015

The Humanistic Psychologist

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This article provides an overview of some insights relating to various aspects of creativity provided by the Vedas-the most ancient scriptural and philosophical texts known to history. In describing the nature of these texts, an attempt has been made to present the Vedic vision of creative and integral excellence, and their emphasis on unitive view of consciousness and creative coexistence. The roles of multifaceted nature of truth, transcendence, intuition, imagination and meditative processes in creative process-all as envisaged in these texts-have been reviewed in brief. This paper also describes the concept of Vac (Word) and the ways it is envisaged to be the source of creativity. Also presented is the theory of gunas (modes of nature) and some of the ways in which Vedic texts define the working self of the creative person and their emphasis on total immersion in creative activity. The crucial role of appreciation and the appreciator in providing creative continuity as viewed by Vedas is also explained. Finally, some implications for studying the creative person and the creative processes from the Vedic perspective are suggested. ''Every creation has a paradigmatic model-the creation of the universe by the gods.''-Mircea Eliade (The sacred and the profane: The nature of religion, 1959, p. 31).''To some degree,'' writes Simonton (2006, p. 490), ''there are as many ways of studying creativity as there are cultural traditions, perhaps as many as there are independent nations.'' Based on two traditions, Mason (1988) has provided a comprehensive account of beliefs about the character of creativity found in the Western history. However, the intention of this article is not to extend the Western perspective on creativity-which has its own strengths-but to offer an alternative view of creativity based on a ''divinely given archetype which human being needs to emulate and in the process fulfill, as well as transcend his=her mere humanity or historic actuality'' (Shah, 2001, p. 7). The article does not intend to make cross-cultural comparisons but to present, as far as possible, the indigenous perspective rooted in Vedic philosophy. This article, due to its nature, has not followed the usual categorization used in organizing literature on creativity theory and research. It could not be done because ''there are theories and investigations that defy categorization'' (Runco & Pagnani, 2011, p. 69). This observation assumes added significance when philosophical perspectives on creativity are examined. As such, forcing any usual categorization on the perspectives attempted here has been purposely avoided.

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“…One of the intense dimensions of Āyurveda, as we understand it today, from the practices we see around, is the intricate intertwining of this healing art on the one hand and faith in divinity (Kessler et al 2013) and in astrology (Dwivedi, 2013) on the other. Such a faith does not evoke an iota of surprise, since Āyurveda has arisen as a discipline fully accepting the superiority of Nature [seen as 'God'] (Raman, 2002;Coward, 2003). Āyurveda's ancient practice daiva-vyapāśraya cikitsā includes manidārānā and chanting mantra-s in appeasement of natural forces, recognized in the Indian heritage as the pa-ca mahābhuta-s: the sky, water, fire, air, and earth and perceived as the divine forms, Indrā, Varua, Agni, Vāyu, and Bhū Devī, respectively.…”

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confidence: 99%