This course introduces a variety of Buddhist perspectives on the natural world, drawing on philosophical presentations in classical Buddhist texts as well as modern ecological interpretations, and historical and ethnographic studies of Buddhist cultures. Throughout the course, we will explore how these perspectives relate to core Buddhist doctrines as well as how they challenge common modern assumptions and categories (such as “man” vs. “nature”), and present alternative ways of relating to the more than human world in this moment of climate and ecological crisis.
