Talk on Buddhist lessons for sustainability by a Bhutanese expert
Dasho Karma Ura, one of Bhutan’s foremost interdisciplinary scholars on societal and environmental wellbeing, gave a talk on Buddhist perspectives and lessons on sustainability titled ‘Navigating dangerous emotions and progress in Bhutan.’ The talk was based on findings from several national surveys and sociological observations on the Bhutanese people’s various emotional modes and their interaction with the wider socio-economic conditions. Buddhists of all denominations view both negative and positive emotional phenomena as fundamental aspects of human society to be skillfully navigated and addressed. Karma Ura invited exploration into what this means in the context of humanity’s search for societal and environmental sustainability, locally within the Buddhist societies and cross-culturally around the world.
The talk was hosted by the Center for Contemporary Buddhist Studies, Department of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies, and Environmental Humanities. As part of the ongoing efforts to promote engagement between interdisciplinary scholars and practitioners from the government, industry and community in addressing pressing societal challenges, the talk held on 7 May 2024 was well attended by interdisciplinary scholars and public members.
Karma Ura (PhD) has been the President of the Centre for Bhutan & GNH Studies (CBS) since 2008. The CBS has been at the forefront of promoting and deepening national and global understanding of Bhutan’s home-grown development philosophy of Gross National Happiness and conducting multidisciplinary research on global sustainability and well-being.