Rhymes of contentment and compassion an eco buddhist reading of gary snyders poetry

Abstract

The thesis, entitled “Rhymes of Contentment and Compassion: An Eco- Buddhist Reading of Gary Snyder’s Poetry” tries to portray Gary Snyder as an ardent follower of Buddhism and Deep Ecology. Through an investigation of his collections of poetry in the light of concepts like Buddhism, Deep Ecology and spirituality, this thesis tries to foreground Snyder’s deep commitment towards nature and the whole universe. The works written by Gary Snyder justifies his unwavering dedication and compassion towards all forms of life and non-living things in this universe. The thesis elaborates on how Gary Snyder has used his poetry as an effective way to impart his ideologies of Buddhism, deep ecological concerns and Hindu beliefs for saving the earth from further degradation. In his poetry, Snyder tries to dissolve the barriers between the civilised and the wild and exhorts us to understand human life as a part of the whole universe. Snyder feels that without wildness in the mind, a poet cannot excel in his profession as a poet. Chapter One, Introduction includes introduction to the author, research objectives, literature review and methodology and are explained in detail. The second chapter entitled “Bioregionalism in Gary Snyder: An Exploration of Ecological Identity and Interconnectedness” is a detailed study of Gary Snyder’s Bioregionalism. This chapter focuses on Gary Snyder’s perspectives on the intersection of Ecology, Buddhism and Politics in his Bioregionalism and how all these three elements are interrelated and define each other. The third chapter titled “Deep Ecology and Eco- Buddhist Paradigms: A Quest for Contentment and Compassion” delves into the analysis of the works of Gary Snyder filled with contentment and compassion through the lens of Deep Ecology and Buddhism. The fourth chapter “Religious Influences and Whispers of the Earth in Gary Snyder’s Poetry: A Path Toward Environmental Healing” establishes how the principles of Hindu philosophies and Buddhism aid in tackling the problems of the environment as represented in the poetry of Gary Snyder. This chapter deals with the analysis of some spiritual texts related to Hinduism and Buddhism that help in understanding the elements of spirituality in the poetry of Gary Snyder and how it provides solutions for the present environmental problems. The fifth chapter concludes the thesis with possible solutions that Gary Snyder speaks through his poems. The sixth chapter discuss further scope of research in the works of Gary Snyder. To nurture mindfulness and to possess the bodhisattva ideal, the development of a religious mind is required and that marks the development of self-knowledge. As a revolutionary act, new rituals are to be introduced for the celebration of the transformation moments that the universe had undergone during the previous years. It is believed that the celebration of the occasions in the form of rituals would make our sense of sacred more renewed. There is a strong network of trust that exists between people living in a community, they strive together, understand their situation together and work together to create a world where they can live without fear and injustice. By involving ourselves in base level community activities, a sense of mutual commitment, enhancement of personal integrity and belief in what is possible will emerge. The next change that is welcomed is the nurturing of personal practice. Through the practice of meditation, one can acquire a mind that is free from negative thoughts filled with wisdom obtained through inner transformation. The element of compassion is an offshoot of this mindful meditation. It is different from the concept of pity where the individual becomes capable of removing hatred towards the living and non-living entities and fills the mind with love and empathy. The research study titled “Rhymes of Contentment and Compassion: An Eco- Buddhist Reading of Gary Snyder’s Poetry” endeavours to address the gap in existing studies on Gary Snyder. This study portrays the elements of Eco-Buddhism in the poetry of Gary Snyder. It also tries to include Eastern religious philosophies for analysing the poems which is a novel attempt. The existing works on Gary Snyder falls short of understanding his poems through this lens. There are limited studies that link Gary Snyder’s works with Eco-Buddhism. This research study addresses this research gap by providing an extensive analysis of the Gary Snyder’s Poetry through the lens of Deep Ecology, Eco-Buddhist precepts