Mindfully Facing Climate Change

by Anālayo

This short book by Bhikkhu Anālayo, one of the world’s lead ing authorities on early Buddhism, is unique among works on Buddhism and environment for its extensive attention to early Buddhist texts. His skillful exegesis of these passages provides lessons for our perilous age. He shows how Buddhists have con nected morality to both environmental degradation and recov ery; how we can use Buddhist perspectives and practices to deal with denial, anger, resignation, and other emotions provoked by contemplating climate change; and not only how Buddhism could help with the mitigation of or adaptation to climate change, but how a practitioner could use the challenges we face to grow spir itually. A new story for the world requires that we change our minds, and Anālayo shows how Buddhist methods for cultivat ing mindfulness and practicing compassion can help us mitigate climate change and adapt to its progression.

Genres: Buddhism

206 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2019

About the author

Ven. Anālayo, born in 1962, was ordained a Buddhist monk in Sri Lanka in 1995, completing his Ph.D. on satipaṭṭhāna at the University of Peradeniya in 2000. He is a contributor to the Encyclopaedia of Buddhism.

Reviews

[D Schmudde · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a well-researched book that stays focused on a single mission: how can we apply early Buddhist teachings to engaging the current climate crisis. In this effort, the book does a commendable job.

However, I did not find the book satisfying. We live in a networked society with a tremendous amount of choice. The teachings were focused on the broadest possible applications of the four noble truths. I understand how they relate to my conscious moments - but was hoping to see them applied to contemporary guidance or frameworks.

I cite the book several times in my article Information's Role in Facing Climate Change. There are a few gems:

> Even small steps taken in daily life are significant. They are significant not because on their own they will change the whole world. They are significant because they contribute to a network of causes and conditions that can change the whole world

> It seems difficult to ground ecological concerns coherently by anthropomorphizing the earth as a mother whose benevolent care needs to be recompensed, by viewing animals and plants as sacred, or by relying on the notion that everything is interrelated.

> As a consequence of being made aware of their mortality, people can cling strongly to their views and sense of identity as a way of fending off the sense of being threatened. Just being briefly reminded of the fact of death can make individuals react in ways that are more narrow-minded, biased, and fundamentalist, as strategies for avoiding the realization of their own mortality.

[Logan Streondj · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great overview of the interrelationship between early buddhist texts and climate change, contains many pertinent prophecies as well as how to ideally conduct oneself.

[Jon Højlund Arnfred · Rating 3 out of 5]

Obviously Anālayo is right in the fact that we ought to mindfully face climate change. And in many ways climate change is the perfect object of dispassion, since it's a slow moving process that is ultimately outside the scope of any action that this particular sum of agregates can take.

However, we don't solve climate change by each of us being more mindful. Most of us are very well aware that it happens and that the environment will not be the same for our grand children as it was for us. On the other hand, we solve climate change by taking action accordingly and collectively.

[Jeffrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starts with a pedantic presentation of the Four Noble Truths, that is only peripherally related to climate change. Took me a while to warm up to the style. By the time I got to the last chapter I was appreciating the read. Not only did I achieve a more mindful approach to climate change, I learned much of what it means to be a good Buddhist.