Green Dharma

Dr. John Stanley, Dr. Julia Shaw, Prof. Emily Yeh

This event is devoted to exploring the link between Buddhist believes and environmental protection. It will examine the religious principles and practices that sustain activism in the sphere of ecology and sustainability, and it will look at single examples and experiences in the field.

The programme includes three guest speakers, who will present their current research or engagement with Buddhist environmental ethics, and the screening of the award-winning documentary feature film Pad Yatra.

A final round table discussion will provide the opportunity to ask questions to our guest speakers and delve into the issues raised by the talks and videos.

Schedule:

12:00. Dr. Julia Shaw: "Early Buddhist attitudes towards 'nature' and environmental control: archaeologies of religion, the 'anthropocene' and our global environmental crisis." This talk will address the issue of Buddhist conceptions of nature and human environment from a historical point of view, presenting the results of the speaker’s current project devoted to religion and landscape in Ancient India. 

12:45. Prof. Emily Yeh: “Shielding the Mountains: Tibetan environmentalism and the rise (and fall?) of the Green Tibetan.” This talk will focus on environmental activism in contemporary Tibet, and its underlying cultural and religious ideals. It will include the screening of the short documentary film ‘Shielding the Mountains’.

1:45. Screening of ‘Pad Yatra: A Green Odyssey': This film documents the adventurous journey of 700 Buddhist monks and nuns who walked through the Himalayas cleaning plastic litter to spread the message of ecological awareness by example.

3:00. Coffee break

3:30. Dr. John Stanley: (Title TBA). co-editor of 'A Buddhist Response to Climate Emergency' (2009) will present Buddhist views and initiatives to tackle the current world’s environmental crisis.

4:00. Q&A and round table discussion.