Excerpts from “Religion and Culture: Implications in Sustainable Living”

(First published in “Tina and the Milk, Southern Perspectives on Sustainability in the Netherlands.” Chhewang Rinzin is one of the four co-authors of this report.[TINA and the Milk, Southern Perspectives on Sustainability in the Netherlands])

Coming to Bhutan, where life is rooted in Buddhist culture, I decided to inquire into the Dutch way of life, specifically to get some understanding of how Christian religion traditions have influenced the perception of the Dutch in relation to the environment and biodiversity. Further, I want to explore what Dutch culture typically is, and to analyze and examine its role in the discourse on sustainable development in the Netherlands. The observations and analyses made in this report are based on my personal experiences and insights gained during interviews and literature review. It has a scene that has been painted by a person who is not Dutch and not Christian, but rather a staunch believer in Buddhism.

Bhutan is a Buddhist country with a largely intact natural environment. The basic principle of Buddhism is to return to nature what is taken out and to respect all forms of life. Thus, in Bhutan, the ethical and aesthetic roles of biodiversity are an integral component of the culture. This ethic can be described as the conviction that it is wrong to needlessly take life, or that since humans have the technological capability to exterminate other species, they also have an ethical responsibility to avoid dong so. The Bhutanese people are, generally speaking, ardent Buddhists. Their attitude towards others – including the biophysical environment – is nurtured and determined by the Buddhist philosophy of compassion and respect for all forms of life. Causing suffering to others is considered doing oneself a great harm because of the concept of Karma, the general attitude of Bhutanese people towards the environment and biodiversity are therefore begin and compromising.

The importance of religion in modern society

The Netherlands is characterized by a highly secularized society. As within the sphere of economics, religious faith has been shifting from the traditional to the post-modern view of the world. According to social en Cultural Rapport 2000, 20% of the Dutch population is religious (this is the highest amongst the European countries). However, ordinary Dutch people believe that the role of religion is becoming less relevant in an individualized society and therefore does not fulfill its original role. Today Dutch society is composed of 31% Roman Catholic, 21% Protestant, 40% unaffiliated and 8% ‘others’ (cultural survey 2001). According to OIKOS (a Dutch religious organization that is focused on development issues) some 10 – 15% of the population could be engaged in religious activities. All of these figures point to one thing: the declining importance of religion as an institution.

During my study it appeared to me that modern development has taken people further away from traditional religious belies and practices. Many church buildings have been converted to office space, conference halls and used for social gatherings other than religious purposes. Sunday church services are attended by elderly (except in the case of some protestant churches where more children seem to attend), and the numbers are often thin compared to the size of the hall. This decline has been experienced consistently over the last 50 years. Incidentally, it is within the last fifty years that economic development had accelerated, resulting in the creation or increased material wealth. This triggered me to wonder: is there a relationship between material wealth and religion; between material wealth and spiritual life?

Strangely enough, during my study I began to realize that the Dutch (and perhaps this is normal throughout Western society) are not often ready to talk about religion and culture. In one of the workshops that I attended a women did raise her voice to say that there is a need for religion, but she was not supported. Two other participants quietly confessed, during the beak, that they share her sentiment. In an open society such as this, every subject is talked about in an open fashion except religion. This lead me to believe that perhaps religion may have gone out of fashion in the Netherlands. So those who feel empty and want for a religion and spirituality must sole find this for themselves. The society is secular, multi-cultural and individualistic. Therefore, individual freedom of choice and lifestyle has become the personal decision of every individual.

To my surprise and in sharp contrast to Buddhist culture, the death of a family member brings reunion amongst all other living family members. The deceased is never left along until his or her body is cremated or buried. In this democratic society this is possible, even in death one can be left along, as an excuse for giving individual freedom of choice. There is obviously, a need for loving, sharing and caring even after death. This is evident from my personal experience on a visit to cemetery; one feels surrounded by natural elements of some living souls. These souls obviously want to converse with someone but are missing the contact point.

Conservation of Biological Diversity: Attitudes, Values and Ethics

The diversity of human societies is reflected in the diversity of perceptions people have of their environment. Cultural and biological diversity are intimately and inextricably linked. Attitudes toward nature and toward fellow human beings are part of a society’s culture, and the enormous diversity of cultures around the world has arisen in response to diverse biological, historical and physical environments. And this has in turn influenced the management of these environments. Religion is also closely related to attitudes towards biodiversity. Societies dominated by Islam, and especially by Christianity, have gone farthest in setting humans apart from nature and embracing a value system that converted the world into a warehouse of commodities for human enjoyment. Eastern cultures with religious traditions such as Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism did not depart as drastically from the perspective of humans as members of a community of beings including other living and non-living elements. Their relationship of community members, be they trees, birds or mountains peaks, are molded by the relationships with other human members of the communities, as recipients of altruistic or mutualistic favours.

Exercising ‘mans’ mastery over nature

As discussed above, in the past humans were considered superior to nature and were able to tap natural resources for the creation of wealth. This was particularly so in the Netherlands. To claim human mastery over nature was crucial, since it was a matter of immediate life and death. The consequence of this effort, however, has been prosperity at the price of degraded environment and loss of important biodiversity.

Conservation of biological diversity: an ethical choice

What is the basis for the nature conservation policy in the Netherlands? Is it being shaped by the moral and spiritual values of individuals?

In other parts of the world, a large majority of local and indigenous cultures have developed traditions and practices which help them to live in harmony with he environment. They have sustainably managed their natural resources for centuries and maintained the delicate balance of nature through the practice of their religious and cultural values. Or instance, local people in Nepal see the forest a s an important economic resource. They highly revere certain forests and protect these as the abode of Gods. The management of forest resources is, therefore, to some extent influenced by cultural and spiritual parameters. A similar view exists in Bhutan but more emphasis is given on the existence of symbiotic relationship between people and nature. Bhutanese conservation ethics is strongly embedded in religion, which believes in the sanctity of life; in preserving nature and in returning to the earth what one has taken.

However, it has been said that for hundreds of years, bird counting and plant classification have been the tradition of Dutch natural interest. As a result birds and plants species appear to have been well documented, so that any occurrence of change can be known immediately. The tradition of bird watching and observing their behavioural patterns still continues in Dutch society. There is a system of reporting and recording of unusual behaviour. It is said that to some extent, bird watching and plant determining traditions in the Netherlands have shaped Dutch nature conservation policies. A comprehensive policy for nature protection and conservation of the countryside was formulated in 1981, which was followed by the Nature Policy Plan in 1990. Measures included in the policy paper were protection of conservation areas, the construction of corridors linking these areas together and the establishment of buffer zones, with objectives to create a ‘national ecological network’. The current NSDO (national strategy for sustainably development) document is directed towards the realization of these objectives.

Simplicity or choice?

Another aspect of sustainability in the Netherlands is cycling, which is more prevalent than in any other country in Europe. The fact that the Netherlands is largely flat creates the conditions for a cycling culture. But this is also related to a frugal lifestyle. It may also be related to egalitarianism and a Protestant and Calvinist tradition, which encourages the Dutch to be tough and hardworking. Wealth is no longer considered a status symbol. People appreciate cycling for health and environmental reasons. But in the South this works in exactly the apposite way. Because cycling is often synonymous with low income. The idea of a company Director on a bicycle, for example is hard to imagine in may Southern countries.

Sustainable development is about caring for others, and that action must come within the heart of every individual. It is a hard decision to make sacrifices for the sake of the environment when it concerns comfort, status and luxury items.

Understanding culture in bilateral co-operation

The Netherlands’ Strategy for sustainable development is based on the premise that real results cannot be achieved without international co-operation. Dutch society accepts a responsibility for causing environmental degradation in other parts of the world. As stated in the NSDO: “the Dutch economy and Dutch society are inextricably linked with the rest of the world. The influence of the Dutch economy extends throughout most of the world and we therefore need to be aware of the consequences of our activities on other countries”.