오늘날 현대인이 직면하고 있는 환경위기는 사회제도와 생활양식의 문제이면서 동시에 가치관의 문제이다. 환경위기를 근원적으로 극복하기 위해 패러다임의 전환을 모색하는 생태주의는 대안적 세계관의 관점에서 힌두교(Hinduism)를 살펴볼 필요가 있다.
힌두교는 아리아인의 경전인 리그베다를 계승하면서 인도 선주민의 토착적 신앙을 적극 수용하는 형태로 개방적 포용성을 보여 왔다. 특히 핵심 경전으로 간주되는 우파니샤드와 바가바드기타는 범아일여 사상과 다양한 해탈의 길을 제시함으로써 영성적 사유의 깊이를 더함과 동시에 인도인의 폭넓은 칭송을 받고 있다. 힌두교의 자연관은 다소 변화 양상을 보였지만, 중심적 흐름에 비추어보면 자연 친화적이다.
필자는 생태사회의 윤리로서 사회윤리의 기본 논제와 유기적 연계성 논제, 자연의 탈도구적 가치 논제 셋을 제시하면서, 이것에 의거하여 힌두교를 평가하고자 한다. 힌두교는 계급사회를 용인하고 있다는 점에서 중요한 결함을 보이고 있지만, 인간과 자연을 하나로 연결해서 보는 유기적 세계관을 구축하고 있고 또 업과 윤회 사상으로 인해 자연의 탈도구적 가치를 수용할 수 있는 것으로 평가할 수 있다. 따라서 힌두교는 생태주의 사회를 지향하는 현대인에게 그 장점인 영성적 지혜와 바람직한 생태윤리의 자세를 전해줄 수 있을 것으로 전망할 수 있다.
The present man in an industrial society is faced with environmental crisis. It will be considered that our ecological crisis is a problem of social institutions and modes of lives on the one hand, and is a problem of views of value on the other hand. If ecological thoughts will hope to pursue the shift of paradigm in order to overcome environmental problems fundamentally, they should scrutinize Hinduism from the point of cosmological views. The Hindu religion has showed the characteristics of open tolerance in the way that it does succeed to the Rig Veda of Arian tribes and accommodate the traditional believes of indigenous residents. The Rig Veda lavishes high praise on various natural forces. The Upanishads teach that our true self is none other than brahman, that is absolute reality. If one could reach one's true reality, atman, then one might merge with the undifferentiated oneness of brahman. The Bhagavad Gita suggests the various ways of spiritual liberation(mokṣa), and thus is praised by people. Hindu views of nature have experience of a little change historically, but the core is nature-friendly obviously. I suggest three theses as the necessary conditions of ethics of ecological society. one is the basic thesis of social ethic, another is the thesis of organic relationships between man and nature, the other is the thesis of non-instrumental value of nature. Hinduism has a difficulty to violate the basic thesis of social ethic, since it allows the hierarchical system of class in society. Nevertheless Hinduism satisfies the thesis of organic relationship and the thesis of non-instrumental value, because it has the thoughts of oneness of Brahman-Atman and action(karma), the cycle of reincarnation(saṁsāra). Therefore it will be regarded that people to intend the realization of ecological society should receive a lot of spiritual wisdoms and the desirable attitudes of ecological ethics from Hinduism.
The present man in an industrial society is faced with environmental crisis. It will be considered that our ecological crisis is a problem of social institutions and modes of lives on the one hand, and is a problem of views of value on the other hand. If ecological thoughts will hope to pursue the shift of paradigm in order to overcome environmental problems fundamentally, they should scrutinize Hinduism from the point of cosmological views. The Hindu religion has showed the characteristics of open tolerance in the way that it does succeed to the Rig Veda of Arian tribes and accommodate the traditional believes of indigenous residents. The Rig Veda lavishes high praise on various natural forces. The Upanishads teach that our true self is none other than brahman, that is absolute reality. If one could reach one's true reality, atman, then one might merge with the undifferentiated oneness of brahman. The Bhagavad Gita suggests the various ways of spiritual liberation(mokṣa), and thus is praised by people. Hindu views of nature have experience of a little change historically, but the core is nature-friendly obviously. I suggest three theses as the necessary conditions of ethics of ecological society. one is the basic thesis of social ethic, another is the thesis of organic relationships between man and nature, the other is the thesis of non-instrumental value of nature. Hinduism has a difficulty to violate the basic thesis of social ethic, since it allows the hierarchical system of class in society. Nevertheless Hinduism satisfies the thesis of organic relationship and the thesis of non-instrumental value, because it has the thoughts of oneness of Brahman-Atman and action(karma), the cycle of reincarnation(saṁsāra). Therefore it will be regarded that people to intend the realization of ecological society should receive a lot of spiritual wisdoms and the desirable attitudes of ecological ethics from Hinduism.
