Nature and Dharma-Nature

A comparison of creation (피조세계) in the Bible and dharma-nature (法性, dharmatā) in Buddhist scriptures. Both traditions discover traces of ultimate truth within the natural world and teach the deep connection between humans and nature.

The Teaching of Nature

Bible

τὰ γὰρ ἀόρατα αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ κτίσεως κόσμου τοῖς ποιήμασιν νοούμενα καθορᾶται, ἥ τε ἀΐδιος αὐτοῦ δύναμις καὶ θειότης, εἰς τὸ εἶναι αὐτοὺς ἀναπολογήτους.

“For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities — his eternal power and divine nature — have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”

Sutra

一花一世界，一葉一如來

“In one flower there is one world; in one leaf there is one Tathagata.”

Comparison

The natural revelation of Romans and the interdependent arising of the Dharma-realm in the Avatamsaka Sutra both discover ultimate truth within nature. The Bible sees creation as pointing toward the Creator; the Avatamsaka Sutra sees every part of nature as a vessel containing the whole of the Dharma. The difference, if any, is this: in the Bible, nature is a signpost 'pointing toward' God, while in the Avatamsaka Sutra, nature is itself the vessel 'containing' truth.

The Relationship Between Humans and Nature

Bible

וַיִּקַּח יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים אֶת־הָאָדָם וַיַּנִּחֵהוּ בְגַן־עֵדֶן לְעָבְדָהּ וּלְשָׁמְרָהּ׃

“The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”

Sutra

若佛子，以慈心故，行放生業。一切男子是我父，一切女人是我母。我生生無不從之受生

“If a Buddhist, out of compassion, practice the releasing of living beings. All men are my father; all women are my mother. In life after life, there is none from whom I have not been born.”

Comparison

The stewardship of Genesis and the releasing-of-life (放生) thought of the Brahmajala Sutra both teach that humans must not treat nature carelessly. The Bible emphasizes the responsibility of stewardship entrusted by God; the Buddhist scripture emphasizes compassion grounded in the karmic interconnectedness of transmigration. The starting points differ, but both traditions reject human-centered exploitation of nature and aim for a harmonious relationship with nature.

Enlightenment in Nature

Bible

καὶ περὶ ἐνδύματος τί μεριμνᾶτε; καταμάθετε τὰ κρίνα τοῦ ἀγροῦ πῶς αὐξάνουσιν· οὐ κοπιῶσιν οὐδὲ νήθουσιν· λέγω δὲ ὑμῖν ὅτι οὐδὲ Σολομὼν ἐν πάσῃ τῇ δόξῃ αὐτοῦ περιεβάλετο ὡς ἓν τούτων.

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.”

Sutra

世尊在靈山會上，拈花示衆。衆皆默然，唯迦葉破顏微笑

“At the assembly on Vulture Peak, the World-Honored One held up a flower and showed it to the multitude. Everyone was silent; only Mahakasyapa broke into a gentle smile.”

Comparison

Jesus's parable of the wildflowers and the Buddha's flower-raising both discover ultimate truth in a single simple flower from nature. Jesus teaches God's providence through the lily, and the Buddha transmits wordless truth through the lotus. Both scenes show that nature can reveal truth more directly than human language, and enlightenment arises within the non-verbal communication of 'see' (Jesus) and 'smile' (Mahakasyapa).