Hinduism, Jainism, and Ecology

September 16, 2009

Continued from Page 2

Conclusion.  Hinduism and Jainism offer unique resources for the creation of an earth ethic. The variegated theologies of Hinduism suggest that the earth can be seen as a manifestation of the goddess (Devi) and that she must be treated with respect; that the five elements hold great power; that simple living might serve as a model for the development of sustainable economies; and that the concept of Dharma can be reinterpreted from an earth-friendly perspective.

The biocosmology of Jainism presents a worldview that stresses the interrelatedness of life forms. Its attendant nonviolent ethic might easily be extended to embrace an earth ethic. Both traditions include a strong emphasis on asceticism that might discourage some adherents from placing too much value on earthly concerns, but, as we have seen, Hinduism and Jainism both contain concepts that can lead to the enhancement of core human-earth relations.

Christopher Key Chapple is Doshi Professor of Indic and Comparative Theology at Loyola Marymount University . He has published several books including: Karma and Creativity (Albany N.Y.: State University of New York Press, 1986); Nonviolence to Animals, Earth, and Self in Asian Traditions (Albany, N.Y.: State University of New York Press, 1993); a co-translation of Patanjali's, Yoga Sutra (Delhi: Sri Satguru Publications, 1990), Reconciling Yogas: Haribhadra's Array of Views on Yoga (SUNY 2003) and several edited collections of essays, including, Ecological Prospects: Scientific, Aesthetic, and Religious Perspectives (Albany, N.Y.: State University of New York Press, 1993), Hinduism and Ecology: Intersections of Earth, Sky, and Water (Harvard series on Religion and Ecology, 2000), and Jainism and Ecology: Nonviolence in the Web of Life (Harvard Series on Religion and Ecology, 2002), as well as the forthcoming Yoga and the Luminous (SUNY). For a complete bio, visit: http://myweb.lmu.edu/cchapple.

This article was originally published in the Forum on Religion and Ecology and in Earth Ethics 10, no.1 (Fall 1998).  Copyright © 1998 Center for Respect of Life and Environment.  Reprinted with permission.

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