Abstract
The effects of global climate change are visible, not only on the environment, but also on the lives of an uncountable number of people on earth. While people in Thailand, like elsewhere, have to deal with air and water pollution, drought and soil erosion, among other environmental problems mainly caused by rapid economic growth, there are, however, a small number of Thai Buddhist monks, called "environmental monks", who adopt a creative approach to engage actively in local environmental conservation projects. The focus of this paper is to observe the role of these environmental monks in bridging ecological imbalance in Thailand, discuss their concepts and motivation, summarize related problems and important events on the subject, examine innovations used to attack problems, and conclude their achievements. Buddhism, with their reinterpretation through the lenses of social justice and social welfare, has become a positive and active force in Thai society for dealing with modernity on its own terms.
Keywords: Environmental monks, environmental Buddhism, cycle of debt, consumerism, deep ecology, tree ordination |
