The ordination of a tree : the Thai Buddhist environmental movement / Susan M. Darlington.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Darlington, Susan M., 1958-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Environmentalism--Religious aspects--Buddhism.

Environmentalism.

Environmentalism--Thailand.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (337 p.)

Place of Publication:

Albany : State University of New York Press, 2012.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Thai Buddhist monks wrap orange clerical robes around trees to protect forests. "Ordaining" a tree is a provocative ritual that has become the symbol of a small but influential monastic movement aimed at reversing environmental degradation and the unsustainable economic development and consumerism that fuel it. This book examines the evolution of this movement from the late 1980s to the present, exploring the tree ordination and other rituals used to resist destructive national projects. Susan M. Darlington explores monks' motivations, showing how they interpret their lived religion as the basis of their actions, and provides an in-depth portrait of activist monk Phrakhru Pitak Nanthakhun. The obstacles monks face, including damage to their reputations, arrest, and even assassination, reveal the difficulty of enacting social justice. Even the tree ordination itself must now withstand its appropriation for state projects. Despite this, monks have gone from individual action to a loosely allied movement that now works with nongovernmental organizations. This is a fascinating, firsthand account of engaged Buddhism.

Contents:

""The Ordination of a Tree: The Thai Buddhist Environmental Movement""; ""Contents""; ""List of Illustrations""; ""Acknowledgments""; ""Note on Language and Names""; ""Chapter 1: The Framework""; ""Chapter 2: The Forest, The Village, and The Ecology Monk""; ""Chapter 3: The Rituals""; ""Chapter 4: The Precedents""; ""Chapter 5: The Grassroots""; ""Chapter 6: The Movement""; ""Chapter 7: The Challenges""; ""Chapter 8: The Future""; ""Notes""; ""References""; ""Index""

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781438444666

1438444664

OCLC:

822227308