Abstract
The phase of the eight millennium development goals (MDGs) adopted by the United Nations at the beginning of 2000 has given way to the program of seventeen sustainable development goals (SDGs) ratified in 2015, to be implemented until 2030. While the number of SDGs is more than twice that of MDGs and more comprehensive in outlook, examination of the individual goals indicates that most if not all of the SDGs are either directly related to environmental sustainability or indirectly concerned with the quality of the environment. This is not surprising because nations have realized, if somewhat late, that human well-being cannot be dissociated from the quality of ecosystems. The escalating global environmental crisis threatens economic and social stability and makes the innate human desire for happiness even more difficult to attain. The issue, moreover, has grown into something that cannot be confined to a single or even a few sectors of society, or that can be adequately addressed by politicians or scientists alone. Rather, achieving environmental sustainability, which is an essential component of the SDGs program, requires an interdisciplinary, dialectical, and dialogical approach involving a diverse collection of individuals, groups, organizations, and institutions. Political will, social and economic reforms, scientific and technological know-how, and religious and personal commitment are all part of the effort to address the environmental woes of the modern era. The role and contribution of religious systems and traditions for the achievement of SDGs , particularly in Asia, is the focus of this chapter. This chapter aims to present the following: (1) stating the reasons why religion is essential to the aspirations of the SDGs in Asia and (2) exploring how the major religions in Asia can contribute to promoting environmental sustainability by providing a framework for (a) assessing the root cause of environmental destruction; (b) envisioning a religious-based approach to how human beings could relate to the natural environment; and (c) presenting how religion promotes harmonious human-nature relationship through a program of self-cultivation and self-transformation . This chapter hopes to demonstrate that the task of achieving the SDGs in Asia is tied with the concern of religion and progress depends greatly on the improved state of human moral and spiritual well-being that religion aims to promote.
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Notes
- 1.
- 2.
Ibid.
- 3.
- 4.
Nadeau (2014, 21).
- 5.
The Vietnamese whose culture was profoundly affected by Chinese culture subsequently “Vietnamized” the Chinese word to derive the term “tôn giáo.”
- 6.
Nadeau, Asian Religions, 21.
- 7.
Ibid.
- 8.
Ibid., 60.
- 9.
Ibid., 4.
- 10.
World Population, accessed March 24, 2015, http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/world_population.htm.
- 11.
One may argue that even in societies where conventional religion is greatly diminished, much of the internalized values essential to the community are those rooted in religion. In other instances, conventional religions are replaced by other ideologies such as nationalism that arguably have some of the same characteristics as religion, such as transcendence and ritual.
- 12.
Streng (1984, 2).
- 13.
Ogbonnaya (2014, 55).
- 14.
Cavanaugh (2009, 4). Although this view of religion is more prevalent in the West, globalization facilitates its transmission to Asia so that Asians may come to view religion and even themselves in a manner previously unthought of.
- 15.
Ogbonnaya African Catholicism, 55.
- 16.
Pope Francis (2014).
- 17.
White (1967: 1206).
- 18.
Ibid., 1205.
- 19.
Tucker and Grim (1997, xvi).
- 20.
Ibid., xi–xii.
- 21.
Ibid., xviii.
- 22.
Nasr (2007, 31).
- 23.
Palmer and Finlay (2003, xiv).
- 24.
Ibid., xvi.
- 25.
Barclay (2007)
- 26.
Stackhouse (2007, 57).
- 27.
Sawyer (2015): Kindle edition.
- 28.
Bhikkhu (1994).
- 29.
Hargrove (2003, 175).
- 30.
McShane (2007: 170).
- 31.
Minteer (2008, 60).
- 32.
Servaes (2014)
- 33.
D.III.275.
- 34.
Thera (2008, 4).
- 35.
Ibid., 5.
- 36.
Sahni (2007, 165).
- 37.
Buddhadasa Bhikkhu’s ideas come from a number of works (Bhikkhu 2003, 2012) that have been compiled and translated by Grant A. Olson. Olson gives the title of his translation “A Notion of Buddhist Ecology.” In addition to the negative effect on nature, Buddhadasa Bhikkhu asserts that internal degeneration hinders spiritual progress.
- 38.
Cafaro (2005, 148–149).
- 39.
Meinhold (2011, 1186).
- 40.
Ives (2013: 546).
- 41.
Quoted in Pope Francis (2015, 8).
- 42.
Pope John Paul II (2016)
- 43.
Pope John Paul II (1990).
- 44.
Ibid.
- 45.
Callicott (1984: 299).
- 46.
Sahni (2007, 80).
- 47.
Norton (1984: 134).
- 48.
Choi (2009: 168).
- 49.
Nasr (1992, 96).
- 50.
Hoffman and Sandelands (2005: 150).
- 51.
Bonaventure (1978, 250).
- 52.
Warner (2001: 154).
- 53.
Jusoff and Samah (2011: 46).
- 54.
Schaefer (2005: 786–803).
- 55.
Hoffman and Sandelands (2005, 153).
- 56.
Huyn, “Interreligious Dialogue,” 182.
- 57.
Ibid, 183.
- 58.
Cited in Butkus (2002: 20).
- 59.
Gada (2014: 134).
- 60.
Ibid.
- 61.
Ibid.
- 62.
Ibid.
- 63.
Nasr, “Islam,” 95.
- 64.
Jusoff and Sahman (2011, 57).
- 65.
Küng (2004, 52).
- 66.
Ibid., 53.
- 67.
Smith (2009, 182).
- 68.
Ibid.
- 69.
Weiming (1998, 17).
- 70.
Ibid.
- 71.
There has already been quite a few panel discussions organized in academic as well as religious institutions to examine the impact that the encyclical has made on the issue of climate change.
- 72.
The Tablet, “Laudato Si’ a major talking point at climate change talks in Paris,” accessed March 15, 2016, http://www.thetablet.co.uk/news/2885/0/cop21-laudato-si-a-major-talking-point-at-climate-change-talks-in-paris.
- 73.
onforb.es/rDpyGO.
- 74.
Collins (1998, 22).
- 75.
Kalupahana (1976, 81).
- 76.
Even the historical Buddha lived through numerous lifetimes before achieving enlightenment.
- 77.
Even in the lowest of the devas world, Cātummahārājika Devas, beings live an equivalent of 9000 human years. The beings in the highest levels of the Devas sphere live for tens of eons where they enjoy a myriad of sensual pleasures.
- 78.
Someone who is a beggar in his present life may aim to be reborn with higher social status such as a doctor or businessman.
- 79.
Smith (2009, 21).
- 80.
Taylor (1990, 133).
- 81.
Hansen (2010, 27).
- 82.
Ibid.
- 83.
Taylor, Confucianism, 133.
- 84.
Hansen (2010, 27).
- 85.
Ellwood and Alles (2007, 405).
- 86.
S.II.12.
- 87.
S.II.15.
- 88.
S.III.22.
- 89.
S.IV.35.
- 90.
S.IV.35.
- 91.
Keown (2001, 102).
- 92.
Le Duc (2015, 42).
- 93.
A 4:95.
- 94.
Tucker and Berthrong (1998, xxxviii).
- 95.
Keown (2007: 109–110).
- 96.
Van Wensveen (2000, 167).
- 97.
Pope Francis, Laudato Si, 224.
- 98.
Ibid.
Abbreviations
- A:
-
Aṅguttara
- D:
-
Digha Nikāya
- Dp:
-
Dhammapada
- J:
-
Jātaka
- M:
-
Majjhima Nikāya
- S:
-
Saṃyutta Nikāya
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Le Duc, A. (2017). Religious Environmentalism and Environmental Sustainability in Asia. In: Servaes, J. (eds) Sustainable Development Goals in the Asian Context. Communication, Culture and Change in Asia, vol 2. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-2815-1_3
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