This book presents to me new perspectives of themes I have been interested in and confronted with for a long time. As I have lived around 15 years in Asia – most of the time as a Buddhist monk in Thailand and Sri Lanka - some of the described phenomena and disasters I have encountered myself: I have seen the widely cut forest in remote areas of Thailand, with no habitats for wild animals and forest-monks left over; the destruction of the hunting grounds of the Veddhas, the aborigines in Sri Lanka; the nationalistic and violent attitude of conservative Singhalese Buddhist monks against other religions and minorities and the ill-management of Western NGOs during the disaster of Tsunami.
I am impressed how Dr. Nadarajah is able to interweave in an understandable way his personal journey with his scientific research, thought-provoking questions, meaningful and inspiring pictures, with conclusions; Western and Eastern ideals and pitfalls. Through this book, I realized, how necessary it is to combine our way of life with our spiritual quest. Underlined with many scientific studies and quotes, the book shows, that even the popular idea of “sustainable growth” will not be enough, to reduce the present injustice among humans and the destruction of nature in Asia and all over the world.
Beside all the mentioned negative trends and facts depicting a seemingly hopeless situation, he shows the answer to our present predicament in Asia and the world: a deeper sense of connectedness and a sustainability guided by socially-engaged spirituality. [...these positive attitudes I experienced each time I have been met Nat in the last couple of years in an Ayurvedic Ashram in South India. It is a place which is a great example of how to create a bright future in a small community, and it is the place, where parts of his special book had been written.]
Florian Palzinsky, Once a Buddhist Monk in Sri Lanka and Thailand Now Yoga- and Meditation-Teacher in Austria www.simple-wisdom.net