Asia
Asian religions are also full of Earth mythology. Hinduism, like Greek mythology, has a different God and/or Goddess for nearly every aspect of the Earth Mother. Hinduism cultivates respect for living creatures. The term "holy cow" comes from Hinduism, because the cow is worshipped and given holidays. This is because animal life has just as much validity as human life does. A Hindu named Swami Vivekananda told his followers to be kind to all of God's creatures. Hinduists have an intimate view of the Earth Mother as a whole and at the same time they have respect for each part of the Earth Mother. In a book called Attitudes To Nature (1994) Anuradha Roma Choudhury writes about Hindus, "They feel akin to this environment, so much so that they develop an animistic view of nature, believing that there is a life and soul in every little thing in nature." Such a view of nature is difficult to comprehend when trying to find a name for or relation to each creature. But anything short of this would be too anthropocentric. At the same time, the Hindus not only have an intimate view of each thing, but they also have "a wide view of the universe" in which the creator has a relationship with the entire cosmos. So the Hindus see humans "not as isolated beings" but as part of a living community in all its complexity and simplicity.
Other than Hindus, there are many tribes in India who worship the Earth Mother. In The Worship Of Nature (1926) Frazer wrote about tribes of Central India who would participate in elaborate rituals to ensure fertility of the soil. One of these rituals took place in "Hoshangabad" and included building a thatched hut for the Earth and then leaving offerings such as rice, milk, and saffron. The milk is put in an earthen pot on a tiny fire and allowed to boil over while the saffron is dabbed on the foreheads of the people performing the main tasks. Then red thread is hung from the horns of free roaming cattle and the men run full speed as they scatter boiled wheat. Many other tribes practice similar or simpler rituals and vary in the types of offerings. Some offer liquor, flowers, food, or sacrifices. Animal sacrifices are usually goats. All the same, they believe the Earth is sacred and needs offerings of some kind to be appeased.
Myths of ancient China also contain stories about the earth and creation. James G. Frazer writes extensively in The Worship Of Nature (1926) about China's worship. Here again the earth and the sky are married as a Mother Goddess and Father God. But like the Greeks, in China there is also a Harvest God who is extremely important. There are Gods or Goddesses for different parts of the Earth Mother as well as for different parishes or provinces. Shrines, altars, and temples have been built to honor these deities but these rituals were not seen as enough. Along with an altar, a tree must be planted. The Chinese either planted a different tree to honor each different Earth God or they worshipped a forest.
Asian religions from Japan, China and India all have deep roots in mythology in which they have creation myths where the Earth Mother is born or gives birth to the world. There is a whole world of worship regarding the Earth amongst these myths. No religious belief that I have found thus far lacks a story about the Earth Mother.
Buddhism and other sects of Asian religions incorporate a strong sense of respect for sentience of humans as well as other beings. Like other religions, Buddhism has many different views. Therefore, to understand it we must trace it back to its root, to the story of Buddha himself or "enlightened one." In the story of Buddha, as told by Herman Hesse in his book Siddhartha (1981), he goes into the forest to seek truth and enlightenment. There he sits and meditates underneath a bodhi tree, and then he touches the earth. He is enlightened by the inspiring morning star. In the story of Buddha we can see that it was the Earth Mother who enlightened him. Buddhism since then has developed into a social religion, but the main idea still comes from nature and includes nature in its teachings. Even the term "Buddha nature" is used to describe the practice of "kindness and pity for all living beings" according to Tom Hayden in The Lost Gospel Of The Earth (1996). Another teaching of Buddha is the concept of giving up material objects and attachments, which often distracts people from the Earth Mother.
In Buddhism the four noble truths include the truth of following the eight fold path, which includes the idea of Right Action. In Right Action, the idea is that of giving all sentient creatures respect. It also has a principle called non-injury (ahimsa) which encompasses all creatures that are regarded as sentient. The Diamond Sutra is an ancient text that tells its readers how to give true respect to all forms of life whether they are animal or plant and even mineral. In Thich Nhat Hanh's book The Heart Of Buddha's Teaching (1998) he writes, "I entrust myself to Earth. Earth entrusts herself to me." He also writes in the same book, "I am committed to cultivating compassion and learning ways to protect the lives of people, animals, plants, and minerals..." In A Policy Of Kindness: An Anthology Of Writing By And About The Dalai Lama (1990), which is compiled and edited by Sidney Piburn, teaches, "Morally speaking, we should be concerned for our whole environment. This, however, is not just a question of morality or ethics, but a question of our own survival." Therefore, many Asian religions have the utmost respect of the Earth Mother and our "oneness" with her.