Transdisciplinarity and Environmental Education: Comprehensions about Silence and Being in Vedanta

Abstract

his present work aims to briefly present a transdisciplinary thesis done in a Post-Graduation Program in Environmental Education in Brazil in the level of Master's degree. The focus was the concept of "Silence" and "Being" in Vedanta (an Indian philosophy) perspective to elaborate about the foundations of Environmental Education. The study begins by reflecting on Western ways of being and the evidence of a Western paradigm that signals innumerable crises. Further, concepts of Vedanta are presented and then the reflection passes through a hermeneutic of silence, assuming practices of silence and meditation as a search for a sense of being that strengthens aspects such as Learning to Be and Learning to Live. From the interaction of knowledge between East and West, it is announced an Integral Environmental Education as necessary in the socio-environmental thinking and action, which corresponds in a non-dualistic way of integrating aspects of life.