A New Analysis Of Buddhist Environmentalism

Early western Buddhist environmentalism focuses on environmental thoughts of Hinayana Buddhism and Japanese Zen.It undergoes three stages:1960s,1970s-1980s,and the stage after 1990s.It is effected by European and American Buddhist Studies and Ecological Religion.Because western Buddhist environmentalism is a product of the east and west cultural exchanges,and it plays a secondary tool role in American environmental movement,there are many faults in theories and practice.For examples,some confuse the Pawiccasamuppqda and eco-holism,some wrongly treat Buddhist as non-anthropocentrism,and some zoophilists abuse ahimsa and so on.With the development of researches,western researchers realize the limitation,some begin to seek for new inspiration in Mahayana Buddhism.At the same time,Chinese researchers carry on studying Buddhist environmentalism and begin to dig ecological thoughts in Chinese Mahayana Buddhism.Compared with western researches,Chinese Buddhist environmentalism is better in Mahayana texts and contents.However,it almost cites western framework and methods.Many researchers confuse Chinese ecological philosophy with western environmental ethics and philosophy.That make the studies had a lot of mistakes in the theories.Based on the consideration of Buddhist environmentalism’s mistakes,and rethink our Buddhist environmentalism,we should establish Mahayana Buddhist environmentalism base on the construction of Eco-civilization and Chinese culture.In the theory aspect,we should reanalyze the reason of Eco crisis by "three poisons",especially the "ignorance";and build a new relationship between human and nature instead of anthropocentrism and non-anthropocentrism;break up the fetishism of science and technology and rebuild humanistic value;advocate temperance to resist consumerism.In the action aspect,pay attention to Humanistic Buddhism’s behaviors and activities would led to pro-environmental practical activities.It has connections with Eco-civilization via the aim of achieving human happiness.