Le Duc - Buddhism and the Ecology in the Digital Age

Abstract

The modern day ecological crisis characterized by increasing human estrangement from the natural environment has the potential to be exacerbated in the digital age, in which human beings become more preoccupied with cyberspace at the detriment of the physical and natural environment. Age old religious traditions, in particular Buddhism, are asked to address the ecological issues in this new social milieu in order to contribute to solving the crisis. Buddhism as a religion that historically has been able to adapt to technological changes and employ technology in the spreading of its teachings is in a good position to speak to this issue. However, in order to make an effective contribution, Buddhism should not only examine fundamental Buddhist teachings that promote healthy human-nature relationship, but also undergo the threefold process of retrieval, reevaluation and reconstruction in order to make itself relevant to the new social context.

Keywords: Buddhism, environmental crisis, digital age, digital era, technological nature