Dharma Gaia: A Harvest of Essays in Buddhism and Ecology [Paperback]

Allan Hunt Badiner (Editor), The Dalai Lama (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 21, 1990

Dharma Gaia explores the ground where Buddhism and ecology meet, with writings by over twenty-five Buddhists and ecologists.

Editorial Reviews

Review

If we are to halt our progress toward the ruin of our environment, more is called for than a few changes in lifestyle. Our destructive ways did not come haphazardly into existence; they spring from a particular attitude toward the earth and our relation to it, and it is that attitude that these essays address. Dharma is the Buddhist teaching; Gaia is the concept of the earth as a living being, an organism that is whole the way a body is, each part of it inseparable from the rest. When you look at the earth through the eyes of Buddhism, you arrive at a picture very like Gaia: the idea of the interdependency of all things is at the heart of Buddhism. Damage one element, and you damage the whole. This is in the spiritual realm what ecology is in the scientific, and so the two systems of thought lead naturally into each other. The essays in this book come at the subject from different angles, all the way from Christopher Reed's Eco-Precepts ("I vow to recycle everything I can") to David Abram's philosophical look at how the Gaia hypothesis influences our perception, to Joanna Macy's thoughts on "the greening of self' - the change from the self as a separate entity to the self as "coextensive with other beings and the life of our planet." Some essays - such as Macy's - are thought-provoking and lively. Others are more dutiful, more academic. But on the whole, the good essays make up for the poorer ones, and the matching of Buddhism with ecology points us in fruitful directions. -- From Independent Publisher

Product Details

• Paperback: 268 pages
• Publisher: Parallax Press (April 21, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0938077309
• ISBN-13: 978-0938077305
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #596,953 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #60 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Earth-Based Religions > Gaia

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent and original read, July 14, 1999

By 

Mat Cork (Austrlia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dharma Gaia: A Harvest of Essays in Buddhism and Ecology (Paperback)

Overall, this is an easy read which addresses some complex issues. By the end of the book I developed a greater understanding of both environmental conservation and buddhism. Too many books jump on the "buddha-chic" or "eco-cool" bandwagon, but offer little more than a rehash of general facts - this isn't one of them.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars for every thinking person and those who wish to be, October 29, 2001

By 

chiropterarachel "stuckpigeon" (Delaware, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dharma Gaia: A Harvest of Essays in Buddhism and Ecology (Paperback)

Everyone I've recommended this book to has loved it. It will either be an introduction of new ideas that are pleasant to think about or a conformation of thoughts the reader already has worded in a way that makes them more accessable. The list of writers contains many sparkling souls. Anyone can read this without being offended, and everyone should read it at least once.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous, it will expand your mind, April 25, 2000

By 

Tom the Bike Guy (Arizona USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dharma Gaia: A Harvest of Essays in Buddhism and Ecology (Paperback)

The book's premise is that buddhism is the perfect religion for an eco-centric based society & culture. It does very well in proving the compatibility and similarities between buddhism & ecology. The section on shifting views of perception is highly enlightening. The variety in this book is amazing, there are over 30 contributors. Books like this one, in which the book is merely a collection of essays on the same topic are great because you can read it in one sitting, or read an essay at a time. As you finish the last essay of the book, you will never see Smokey the Bear in the same light again, now there's a teaser!. But seriously folks, this book is great.