Looking for a Śrīvaishnava Environmental Gandhi: Journal of Vaishnava Studies

Abstract

In the essay prior to this one, E. H. Rick Jarow appropriately outlined some of the inherent thought constructs in Hinduism in general, and North Indian Vaishnavism in particular, that make the emergence of a vibrant Hindu or Vaishnava eco-theology challenging both theoretically and practically. The idea of the duality of spirit and matter, and the devaluing of the material world in favor of an idealized, transcendent and spiritual Vaikuṇṭha or Goloka to which the soul aspires, are pervasive in the Vaishnava mindset, particularly in North India. These ideas have undoubtedly played a role in keeping Vaishnava Hindus—so far—from developing and acting on an effective, religiously-inspired ecological movement, in spite of the pressing need for action in the face of what
seems—from a Western, scientific viewpoint—a growing environmental crisis.