Description
The Dharma Of Global Sustainability Course Content:
The course is intended for the youth of this world who are facing some of the gravest environmental challenges ever faced by any generation of human beings. It is also intended for all those who love the youth of this world, for the youth cannot solve these challenges on their own while their parents, grandparents, uncles, and aunts continue to pile on more grave challenges for them to solve.
The course will rely heavily upon an updated version of the 2011 book, “Carbon Dharma: The Occupation of Butterflies”. The nine chapters of the book will be the basis for the course material for Sessions 2-10 of the course, while the introductory session will provide an overview of what the course will cover. The topics that will be covered are as follows:
Session 1: Overview of the course
Session 2: Focusing on transformation through the metaphor of metamorphosis
Session 3: The law of Karma and why actions and inaction matter
Session 4: An exploration of Hindu Dharma and how it informs our actions today
Session 5: Applying Dharmic concepts to our sustainability challenges
Session 6: Framing the Kurukshetra of our times and how the Bhagavad Gita informs our right action
Session 7: The Caterpillar culture – an examination of the “Kaurava” side that we must shed
Session 8: The Butterfly culture – an examination of the “Pandava” side that we must nurture
Session 9: How do we all become Climate Healers – the many stepped journeys towards global sustainability
Session 10: Awakening through awareness into the realm of global sustainability
Course Learning Objectives:
In this course students will be able to:
- Understand the profound impact of Hindu Dharma on any plausible solutions to our environmental challenges
- Appreciate the impact that our daily actions have on our environmental and social predicaments.
- Identify the power that we have to transform our world.
- Understand that we have all the tools and technologies we need to transform our world.
- Discover the enormous breadth, variety, and depth of our Dharmic teachings.
Class Structure:
The class will meet once a week for up to 90 minutes. The teacher’s presentation, with the help of audio and video recordings, will last approximately 45 minutes. The remaining time will be devoted to questions and open discussion. There will be 10 such sessions followed by an additional session devoted to the presentation and discussion of student and teacher reflections regarding what they learned from the course and how they expect it will influence their lives
Prerequisites: None
Area of Study: Conflict and Peace Studies
Faculty / Instructor: Dr. Sailesh Rao
Required / Elective: Elective
Start Date: October 6, 2021
End Date: December 22, 2021
Time: 9.00 pm EST – 10.30 pm EST
Day: Wednesday
Quarter Offered: Fall 2021
