Ecological Resources Within Advaita Vedanta

Human civilization is unmatched in its power to create and to destroy. For these reasons, the world finds itself at a crossroads. One road will lead to humanity harnessing the awesome power at its disposal for the good of all and the renewing of the processes of life. The other road will lead to a painful process in which the very Earth is made barren and devoid of life. I wrote "Ecological Resources Within Advaita Vedanta" not to sound the alarm in order to inform the world there is a problem, but rather to inform humanity to the idea that their understanding of the divine can and does show us the road we must take and the values we must hold dear in order to begin and sustain our journey. The core premise of this text is the idea that a society''s beliefs are instrumental in determining how that society relates to the natural world. Advaita, being the philosophical backbone of Hinduism is the dominant ontology in India today. This book attempts to show the reader that within the quest for enlightenment, which is the basis of Advaita, there is an ecological ethos capable of being our guide along the first road. This book is intended for the student and non-student alike.