1998 -- Nature and Life

Keynote speech given at the 7th BLIA General Conference,
Tornoto, 1998

各位貴賓、各位會員們：

大家好！今天大家不遠千里從世界各地前來加拿大，參加國際佛光會第七屆世界會員大會，實在非常難得殊勝。尤其眾所週知，加拿大雖得天獨厚，資源豐富，但國民仍能具有不濫開採的共識，因此無論是鄉村、都市都能保持旖旎的風光、新鮮的空氣。此外加國政府在保護生態、社會福利等方面也做得十分成功，凡此均贏得世人的青睞，成為大家嚮往遨遊的國度之一，所以我們今天雲集在此，以「自然與生命」為主題召開世界大會，可說是得其所哉。

「自然」是世間的實況，像春夏秋冬四季的運轉、眾生生老病死的輪迴、心念生住異滅的遷流、物質成住壞空的變化，不都很自然嗎？世間事合乎自然，就有生命；合乎自然，就有成長；合乎自然，就能形成；合乎自然，就有善美。

當初，佛陀在菩提樹下證悟宇宙的真理，即所謂的「緣起性空」，實際上，就是宇宙間「自然」的法則。所謂自然，就是人心，就是真理，就是天命，就是宇宙的綱常。翻開中外史籍，歷代的帝王，順乎天命人心者昌，逆於天命人心者亡，他們的興衰與自然法則關係密切。不但如此，吾人的生活也要合乎自然，才能幸福美滿。大家不妨自問：「在金錢的運用上，我能合乎自然，量入為出嗎？在感情的交流上，我能合乎自然，平衡來往嗎？在語言的溝通上，我能合乎自然，顧念對方的需要嗎？在做事的態度上，我能合乎自然，不違事理的原則嗎？」此外，現代人對保育生態、自由民主等方面也都提倡自然。例如：虎狼獅豹雖凶猛殘暴，但是當牠們被放出牢籠，回歸大自然時，牠們也會向你感謝。民國初年，中國婦女從「纏足」的傳統解放為合乎自然的「天足」，直至今日仍受到大眾的肯定與歡呼。近代，英國殖民地恢復佔領地區的獨立、美國林肯解放黑奴，都是在尊重自然的發展。而今古人士，對「智者樂山，仁者樂水」的謳歌，更是崇尚自然的最佳證明。凡此說明了這是一個自然的世界，我們所擁有的是一個自然的人生，大家都擁有一顆自然的良心，我們應該作自然的擁有，發揮自然的美善。

佛教一向追求自然，重視人心、人性。像東方琉璃淨土、西方極樂世界裡，不但寶網行樹、水鳥說法，而且人民思衣得衣，思食得食，主要的目的，不外希望大家都能在自然的生活下安居樂業。國際佛光會倡導人間佛教，順應緣起真理的發展，也是重視自然的表現。本會以人間佛教為依歸，今天特將「自然」標舉出來，作為大會主題之一，也是希望大家都能尊重自然，因為唯有順應自然，我們的心靈才得以解脫，我們的生命才能夠自由。

說到「生命」，生命的定義，不在於一息尚存，而應在於是否具有「用」的價值。人存在於世，固然可以說有生命，山河大地等能夠為人所用，對於人間有貢獻，也應視為有生命者。例如：一張紙上面畫了聖賢的畫像，一塊石頭雕成古德的相貌，讓人一見生起仰慕效法之心，這一張紙、這一塊石頭就有了生命。反觀一些人雖坐擁高官厚祿，卻為大家所唾棄，或是一些人儘管年壽甚高，但一生無所是事，對社會毫無貢獻，雖生猶死，所以往往被人稱為「行尸走肉」。

其實，我們所生存的這個自然界裡，鳥叫蟲鳴、飛瀑流泉、萬紫千紅、綠葉婆娑，觸目所及都是欣欣向榮的景象，那一處沒有活潑的生命呢？所謂「溪聲盡是廣長舌，山色無非清淨身」，如果我們用心領悟，宇宙中的森羅萬象那一樣不是從自己的生命中自然流出？可惜世間上有許多人將生命的因緣斬斷，強分你我，讓生命的和諧產生裂痕，讓宇宙大我的生命受到損傷，誠為可悲！

佛陀以法界為心，以心為法界，後人讚美佛陀無限的生命是「正法以為身，淨慧以為命」。阿彌陀佛之所以為佛教徒所喜愛稱念，乃因其生命超越時空的限制，所謂「無量光」、「無量壽」，一切時間、空間皆無量也。

蜉蝣雖朝生夕死，但不能說牠沒有再來的時候；人一期生命結束後，也不能說他不會乘願再來。一粒種籽落在土裡，即使千百年後，當因緣際會，仍可以開花結果。現在科技下的產物如試管嬰兒、複製羊等等，雖然令人嘆為觀止，但是以佛教觀點來看，他們的基因也都是由業力潤生而成，可見科學儘管日新月異，還是無法發明生命，因為生命是因緣和合，自然而有的。

《心經》云：「色即是空，空即是色。」我們的生命可以流注於物質世界裡，此即所謂「空是色」；無窮的萬物也可以和我們的生命結為一體，此即所謂「色即是空」。所以佛教講到世界，是無量無邊；講到眾生，也是無量無邊；講到生命，不但無量無邊，而且是無限永恆。

今日，世界各地的戰火不知讓多少美麗的家園毀於一旦，人類對於大自然無止盡的掠奪也引起地球反撲，環境污染正吞噬著人們的健康，其他如種族、政黨、宗教、地域之間的歧見、衝突與日俱增，國際販毒組織、恐怖組織、槍枝集團、色情集團的氾濫，在在威脅著大家生命財產的安全，所以國際佛光會揭櫫「自然與生命」為大會主題，也是想藉此喚起人類的覺醒，希望大家能珍惜躍動的生命，與大自然結合為一體，不憂榮辱毀譽，無畏生老病死，攜手共建淨土，倡導自然的美妙，宣揚宇宙的偉大，歌頌生命體永久的和順，禮讚生命體永恆的存在。

下列我提出對於「自然與生命」的四點淺見，希望大家不吝指教：

一、自然的定律與生命的尊嚴

二千六百年前，佛陀在菩提樹下證悟了自然的定律，並且名之為「緣起」。「緣起」符合了真理的普遍性、必然性、平等性、永恆性。大自然的一切現象，小至個人的成敗得失、氣候的寒來暑往，大至國家的盛衰興亡、世界的成住壞空，莫不是在「緣起」法則下進行。其中，尤以吾人的生命和緣起法則的關係最為密切。因為生命不是憑空而來，而是由自己造作的業力而來；不是由單一原因而來，而是由無明、行、識、名色、六入、觸、受、愛、取、有、生、老死等「十二有支」三世因果相續而成。

所謂：「有備無患。」人如果懂得順應自然，就無所畏懼。例如春夏努力耕種，秋天積穀存糧，自然就不怕嚴冬來臨；白天準備照明設備，自然就不怕黑夜來臨。老病並不可懼，可懼的是少壯不努力，等到老病時帶著空白的一生隨著草木腐朽；死亡也不可悲，可悲的是生前不知奉獻社會，等到臨死才帶著滿腔遺憾，邁向不可知的未來。

麥克阿瑟曾說：「老兵不死。」因為他們的精神與國魂永遠同在。文天祥也說：「人生自古誰無死，留取丹心照汗青。」因此，人，不一定要輝煌騰達、福壽雙全，但要活得有尊嚴。過去的人講究生存的尊嚴，極力爭取自由、平等，大力倡導民主、博愛，甚至為此而不惜拋頭顱、灑熱血；現在的人注重死亡的尊嚴，希望能夠死得安樂、死得自在，乃至為此而走向街頭，奔走呼籲。其實，由緣起法則所衍伸出來的「業力自由」、「眾生平等」、「同體慈悲」「生死一如」等觀念，才能統合生存與死亡，真正將我們生命的尊嚴發揮到自然的極致。

所以，我們應拋開宿命論的悲情，即使在困頓厄難時，也要勇往直前，創造自己的未來；我們應拔除撥無因果的邪思，即使面對遍地荊棘，也要散播歡喜的種子，為宇宙創造繼起的生命；我們應丟棄生產工具決定一切的謬論，在互助合作裡創造利眾的事業；我們應糾正經濟掛帥的歪風，在感恩惜福中創造濟世的功德。讓我們為人間留下道德、為社會留下智慧、為家庭留下慈悲、為自己留下歷史，活出自然的定律，也活出生命的尊嚴來！

二、自然的生命與生命的自然

一切生命和自然息息相關，生命都是自然的一部份，我們均應善加珍惜。可惜長久以來，自以為「萬物之靈」的人類往往忘記其他生命的存在，為滿足一時的私欲而濫殺無辜。試問：當你為世間的刀兵劫難而悲憤時，是否想過夜半屠門傳出來哀號的聲音？當你為社會災禍頻傳而嘆息時，是否聽到碗盤中眾生怨怒的訴說？

《法句經》云：「一切皆懼死，莫不畏杖痛，恕己可為譬，勿殺勿刑杖；能常安群生，不加諸楚毒，現世不逢害，後世常安穩。」《金剛經》也說：「所有一切眾生之類，我皆令入無餘涅槃而滅度之。」積極的戒殺應該是護育化導，讓大家都能得度，所以即使是疾言厲色的傷害，我們均應防止不犯；即使是微笑讚美等小小的隨喜功德，我們也必須不吝佈施。

有些人以為自己有權力來決定自己的生死，但從「緣起」真理來看，吾人的生命是由父精母血所和合產生，是因社會士農工商提供日用而繼續存活，所以世間上沒有一個實體的「我」。生命既是天地萬物自然所共有，所以凡自殺、殺他都是逆天行事，違反自然。

再從廣義而言，即使一石一木都是宇宙萬有的力量所成，任意傷害，減少壽命，也是殺生的行為。像長江三峽築壩，濫伐樹林，導致江水氾濫；台灣各種建築濫墾坡地，造成地層坍塌，都是緣起法則受到傷害，導致山川大地受到傷害，予以還擊的明證。撫今追昔，睒子菩薩為怕踩痛大地而不敢重步走路，匾擔山和尚為恐傷及草木而揀橡栗為食，他們的慈悲多麼可貴！「極樂淨土，水鳥說法」的經文；「生公說法，頑石點頭」的故事，更說明了佛陀所云「情與無情，同圓種智」的理念，誠乃不虛之言。

生命之所以可敬，是因為生命之間有自然的相通互動，彼此依存；生命之所以寶貴，是因為每一個生命乃累劫以來由於自然的因緣所成。所以我們的生命應該順其自然，依照自己的根性，隨順因緣，隨遇而安，隨心自在，將小我融入大化之中，如此必能發揮生命的光與熱，體現自然與生命的「物我一如」的美妙。

三、自然的和順與生命的永恆

說到「自然」，自然，則和；如不自然，就會導致紛亂。古德云：「違順相爭，是為心病。」貪欲、瞋恚、愚癡、我慢、疑嫉攪動心湖，人就會煩惱愁腸，乃至誤入歧途，千古遺恨。生活上的應世接物也是如此，感情若是一廂情願，不顧自然，不順自然，就不會天長地久；財富若是巧取豪奪，不順自然，必有敗壞之虞；名聲若是譁眾取寵，不順自然，終將遭人唾棄；地位若是坐享其成、不順自然，便會引起非議。

自然，則順。過與不及，終將帶來弊患。像久臥不起，久立不坐，久勞不息，久靜不動等等，都會引起生理上的四大不調，人就開始患病，乃至身根朽敗，與世長辭。此外，近幾世紀來，人類因生產消費過多的物質，遠超過微生物所能還原的程度，而破壞了自然的運作，導致目前生態系統問題重重。凡此都證明了一旦忽視自然法則，就會自食惡果。

因此，自然就像一個「圓」，好因帶來善果，壞因遭致惡果，因果相續，無始無終。無量劫以來，生命在自然循環下歷經千生萬死。死固然是生的開端，生也是死的準備，所以生也未嘗生，死也未嘗死。如薪盡火傳，生命之火不曾停熄；如更衣喬遷，生命的主人仍未改變。所以古來的高僧大德大事已明，生死一如。像達磨祖師隻履西歸，龐蘊居士拄鋤立化，飛錫禪師倒立而亡，金山活佛淋浴往生……他們順應自然，來去自在，隨緣應化的丰姿是多麼的灑脫豁達！

生，是因緣生；死，是因緣滅。從聖義諦來看，無生也無死。因此禪門高僧不求了生脫死，只求明心見性。一旦開悟，泯除對待，剎那即永恆，煩惱即菩提。像溈山禪師立願來生作一條老牯牛，趙州禪師發心捨報後到地獄去度眾，他們不為自己求安樂，但願眾生得離苦，生死苦海在他們的眼中，有如片雲點太虛，微不足道。

《易經》謂：「天行健，君子以自強不息。」自然之道在永恆精進，在自利利他，所以，我們應效法天地日月滋養萬物的美德，以同體的慈悲作應世的資糧，為苦難的眾生作庇護的房舍；我們應學習古聖先賢的「馬拉松」賽跑精神，以無限的生命作奮勇的前進，為熱惱的濁世作清涼的甘露，讓生命在自然的法則下綿延永續，和順永恆。

四、自然的生活與生命的佛道

「自然」，若以一字解釋，就是「道」；「生命」，若以一字解釋，就是「力」。如何是「道」？大珠慧海說：「饑來吃飯，睏來眠。」藥山惟儼說：「雲在青天水在瓶。」…可見「道」與自然同在，「道」就是自然的生活。也因為如此，連大聖佛陀都責備應笑而不笑、應喜而不喜、應慈而不慈、應惡而不惡、聞善而不樂的人為「五種非人」，因為他們的行為不合乎自然。如何是「力」？信、進、念、定、慧是「力」，慈、悲、喜、捨是「力」，把慈悲給人、把歡喜給人、把光明給人，能讓燈燈相照，生生不息，就是「力」。所以，自然的「道」與生命的「力」若能結合在一起，就是宇宙間的浩然正氣，就是宇宙間的真如法界。

所以，我們想要過如實的生活，就必須順應自然法則：夫妻之間應互敬互諒，鄰里親友應和睦相處，工作同事應互相提攜，開創事業應將市場調查、資金籌措、人力資源、經營計劃等安排妥當，為政治國應了解民意、重用忠良、察納雅言、勤行善法。尤其身為佛教徒，更應以身作則，培福結緣，修定增慧，負起化導眾生的責任。日用中能如是與「道」相符，與「力」結合，即是自然的生活與生命的佛道，則庶幾無過矣！

自古以來，佛教的祖師大德在生活裡悟道者不知凡幾，像洞山良价在瞥見河裡自己的倒影時開悟、香嚴智閑在鋤地耕種時開悟、夢窗國師在靠牆就寢時開悟、虛雲和尚在捧杯喝茶時開悟…。他們在悟道之後，山仍是山，水仍是水，只是山河大地與我一體，任我取用。所謂「青青翠竹無非般若，鬱鬱黃花皆是妙諦。」道，就是自家風光，不假外求。外在的大千世界、三世眾生，其實就是心內的大千世界、三世眾生。因此，自然也好，生命也好，就是真理，就是佛道，就是眾生本自具有的真心佛性，就是宇宙的全體。

目前，國際佛光會已走入第八個年頭，雖然在亙古的時空裡，我們猶如一株小樹，但由於本會歷年來所提倡的「歡喜與融和」、「同體與共生」、「尊重與包容」、「平等與和平」、「圓滿與自在」等理念，都與自然的真理法則契合，所以能歷經風雨而屹立不搖。爾後，我們要繼續紹承諸佛如來之遺緒，遵循歷代祖師大德之教誨，無怨無悔地向前邁進，為萬世開啟太平的道路。希望今天我們每一小步的努力，都能在浩瀚的宇宙中發揮正知正覺的力量；希望未來我們每一次的成長，都能為無限的生命留下善美深遠的影響。

最後，祝福大家法喜充滿，慧命長存。

Greetings everyone! What a great thing it is that so many of us have come together today from so many different parts of the world to participate in this Seventh Annual Convention of Buddha’s Light International Association. How fortunate we are to be able to hold our convention in Canada which has been a world leader in environmental protection. Though Canada is one of the world’s wealthiest nations in natural resources, the people of Canada know full well that these resources must never be squandered. They treasure what they have and they take care of it. For this reason, Canada is one of the most beautiful countries in the world; both its towns and its cities are renowned for their fresh air and their beautiful natural scenery. In addition to this, the government of Canada has consistently shown that wisdom and the concerns of all of its citizens are the basic principles that guide them in all that they do. Small wonder then that people from all over the world look to Canada as an example of a balanced society that successfully cares for the needs of its citizens without plundering the wealth of its natural resources. Since Canada has set such a good example for the world in these areas, I decided to make “Nature and Life” the theme of this convention. As we contemplate this theme in relation to the fine example that Canada has set for us, let us also consider the ways in which this important topic can be understood from a Buddhist point of view.

When we speak of nature, we mean the expression in this world of certain fundamental truths. Nature is a level of truth that is manifested in the world around us. All around us we can see the cycles of nature: the four seasons, the stages of life from birth to death, the rising and falling of phenomena, the movement of thought from one instant to the next. All of this is natural. All of this is part of the process of life. Life is a condition of nature just as nature is a condition of life. Life is created in nature, it develops in nature and it affects nature in ways that cannot be easily described. When the Buddha became enlightened under the Bodhi tree, he saw that the deepest truth in the universe is the fundamental emptiness of all conditioned phenomena. In his moment of awakening, he saw that all phenomena arise dependent on each other and that all of them are inherently interconnected. The Buddha’s insight had much in common with what we mean today when we speak of “nature” or “natural phenomena.” In his awakening, the Buddha saw to the very heart of what we call “natural law.” Needless to say, the insight of Shakyamuni Buddha was even more profound than what we mean today by “natural law” since the minds and hearts of sentient beings were also fundamental to his awakening.

We can appreciate some of the depth of the Buddha’s insight by casting our eyes across the pages of human history. Is there a king, or an emperor or a regime anywhere in the world that does not conform to the basic pattern of natural law? Do not nations and eras in their histories rise and fall with the same regularity of all things in nature? And is not the same true for the lives of each and every one of us? When we conform willingly with the imperatives of nature, we experience joy. When we rebel against them, we experience sorrow. It is good to ask ourselves from time to time, “Am I conforming to the laws of nature in my uses of money? In my uses of language? In my attitudes and emotions?” If we are spending more than we earn, then we are violating the laws of nature. If we use language in ways that hurt other people, then we are not speaking out of a complete and natural integrity. If our attitudes toward our lives and our jobs are producing pain and anxiety around us, then we can be sure that we are willfully turning our backs on the natural course of things in this world.

The tendency for things to find their natural places cannot and should not be resisted. We can see this in our own lives as well as in the history of the world. For example, for centuries women in China were forced to bind their feet. With the dawn of the modern era, this practice was stopped and now no one would think of taking it up again. It was an unnatural thing to do. During the twentieth century, many English colonies regained their independence, while in the last century American slaves were set free. The conditions which produced those states of servitude and dependency no longer exist, and no one in possession of his reason would call for their resurrection again. The consciousness of the whole world has changed since then. This change in attitude is the natural evolution of the human race’s appreciation of the laws of nature.

There is an old Chinese saying that reveals a deep appreciation for the interconnectedness of the human mind and the natural world. The saying is, “The wise love the mountains, while the merciful love the water.” The world around us is our origin and our home. All of us are products of nature, and just as our bodies come from the elements of this world, so our consciences come also from the deep foundation that underlies all things. We must learn to appreciate this profound interconnectedness as we trace a path toward its center by following our sense both of what is beautiful and what is right.

Buddhism reveres nature by stressing human nature and the human mind above all else. The Eastern and Western Pure Lands described in Buddhist sutras are characterized by the beauty of their natural environments. In them, streams and rivers are clean, the air is fragrant and the trees and flowers are magnificent as birds sing everywhere. The people that live there need only think of what clothing they want or what food they want for it to appear before them. The purpose of these descriptions is to show that there are states of consciousness in which it is possible for human beings to live in perfect accord with nature. When those states are reached, one need only think of what one wants and it will appear. There is no difference between thought and “reality.”

Buddha’s Light International Association (BLIA) promotes humanistic Buddhism for the purpose of bringing people into a closer communion with their natural origins and with each other. As we progress in our practice of humanistic Buddhism, we cannot but begin to appreciate the importance of having the deepest respect for the natural world. We are that world and we share that world with all other sentient beings. Respect for nature is as fundamental to Buddhism as is compassion. And just as liberation from delusion depends on our having compassion for all sentient beings in the universe, so too does it depend on our having respect for the natural world which governs and conditions all of our lives.

Now that we have briefly discussed nature and its relationship to Buddhism and to this convention, it is time for us to talk about what we mean by “life.” To live, human beings must use the things of nature. In like manner, to live as good people each one of us must be willing to be of use to the world and to human society. We only really live insofar as we are contributing to the world and to the people with whom we interact. We do not need to be great, nor do our contributions need to be large for us to live worthy lives. Even a piece of paper or a stone can contribute to the world. If someone draws a portrait of a saint on a piece of paper or carves a poem in stone, for example, those objects will inspire people for years to come. They are simple, but they are capable of making great contributions to the world. In contrast, lofty people with power and money often do nothing for their fellow man. Rather than work to help others, they prefer to dissipate their good karma in vanity and self-aggrandizement. Others waste their time pursuing long life when the value of life can never be measured by its length but only by the degree to which it has benefited others. From a worldly angle, selfish people who pursue nothing more than their own goals may look successful, and yet from the point of view of nature and truth, they are like “stumbling corpses” whose every step only mocks them in their pride.

All around us we can see life and the amazing process of life. Birds call, insects sing, waters burble as the sun shines over the resplendent colors of the earth. All is included, nothing is ignored. Life is everywhere and everywhere it speaks to us if we will but listen. There is a Ch’an poem that well expresses the vibrant fullness and beauty of the world: “The brook sounds like the trill of a long, great tongue. Mountains lie in forms like living beings.” If we pay close attention, can we not see—cannot all of us see—that there is nothing anywhere that does not issue from the very heart of our own being? All is one, all is us. How sad that so many people spend their lives encouraging division, selfishness and turmoil. Rather than enjoy the glory and oneness of this wonderful world, they prefer to carve out self-serving bits of it to the great detriment of all the many beings who must endure their presence here. That is exactly the kind of “life” that the Buddha taught us not to live!

The Buddha taught that the Dharma realm and the mind are one, that the foundation of the phenomenal universe is mind. The transcendent, illimitable being of Shakyamuni Buddha often is praised in this way: “His body is the true Dharma, while pure wisdom is his life.” Amitabha Buddha is known as the Buddha of “eternal life” and “eternal light” because his life completely transcends all limitations of time and space. The foundations and the sources of all of life are deeper than the conditions which produce any of its particular manifestations. A mayfly only lives for one day, but after it dies it will be reborn in another form. A human being comes and goes on this earth, but mind and the karma from which his body issues will cause him to be reborn again. A seed dropped on the ground may lie dormant for a hundred years, but as soon as conditions are right, it will germinate and grow into a plant. In recent months there has been some uproar in the world over the cloning of human beings. It all seems so new that people are disturbed by it, but in truth it is not new. Life is produced by conditions. When conditions are right, life will come into being. Cloning is nothing more than an example of new conditions that are capable of producing life. No one has created life through cloning; scientists have only succeeded in finding new conditions within which life may flourish.

The Heart Sutra says, “Form is empty, emptiness is form.” The flowing movement of our lives through the material world is an example of “form that is empty,” while the connectedness of our lives to the vast world around us is an example of “emptiness that is form.” This is why when Buddhism speaks of “this world” it means nothing less than the limitless, infinite world of all phenomena in the universe. When it speaks of “sentient beings,” it means nothing less than all sentient beings in the universe. And when it speaks of “life,” it means nothing less than the limitless, infinite life that permeates all things everywhere.

Today, the world’s problems are more complex and more numerous than ever before. War, terrorism, religious intolerance, environmental pollution, and a general breakdown of morals across the globe has produced conditions in which it can be very difficult for people to live with a sense of peace and security. The theme of this conference—Nature and Life—was chosen to address these problems. If all of us can fully comprehend the natural laws that were taught by the Buddha, and if all of us can work together to build a world founded upon these laws, then we will succeed in creating a Pure Land on this earth; a land in which all people can feel secure within their natural right to a life that is free of fear and the unsettling disturbances that arise whenever sentient beings act in ignorance of the larger truths that govern the lives of all of us.

In the next few minutes, I will add a few more short comments on the theme “Nature and Life.” I hope that my words will be of some benefit to this audience. If they are not, please just ignore them.

Natural law and respect for life

When Shakyamuni Buddha became enlightened 2,600 years ago, he saw that dependent origination is the central truth that governs the functioning of the entire phenomenal universe. Dependent origination means that no thing and no phenomenon arises out of nothing and that no thing and no phenomenon can exist alone and by itself. The Avatamsaka Sutra says of dependent origination: “Phenomena do not arise independently; they arise dependent on each other.”

The natural law of dependent origination has the four basic characteristics of an ultimate truth: it is universal, inevitable, true in the past, and true in the future. All natural events conform to the law of dependent origination. From the small to the large, from the intricate details of a single snowflake to the raging fury of a great storm, all things in nature conform to the law of dependent origination. The minor events of a person’s life as well as the major events of human history also conform to this law. The brilliance of the Buddha can be appreciated by contemplating his ability to comprehend this natural law and apply it to the minutiae of human life in such a way that each one of us can benefit from his insight. Dependent origination is a natural law that governs everything in the universe, but it is felt most deeply by each one of us within the intimate details of our daily lives. Once we understand this, we will be in a position to appreciate that our lives are not the result of a single cause, but that they issue instead from a complex confluence of causes and conditions. Our lives arise from the karmic seeds that we ourselves have planted in the past. When these seeds grow, they find expression in the Five Skandhas, the Six Senses, the Eighteen Realms and the Twelve Nidanas.

“When we are prepared, there are no disasters.” This old saying goes right to the point. If we understand the natural law of dependent origination, then we will be prepared for whatever may happen to us and we will not be afraid. In addition to this, we will also understand how to make this law work in our favor for we will understand that our futures are created by what we do in the present. If we till the land and plant good seeds in the spring, then by autumn we will reap a great harvest and when winter comes we will not be afraid for we will know that our supplies will see us through. In like manner, no one need fear old age for if we use our youth and middle age to work hard, then we will be satisfied with our lives when we grow old. And neither is death something to be afraid of, for if we have lived well and contributed to society, our next incarnations will be good ones. Death is frightening most of all to people who have lived lives that were of no benefit to others. When they come to the end, they can feel how profoundly they have wasted their time on earth as they face the yawning emptiness of an uncertain future.

General MacArthur once said, “Old soldiers never die.” What he meant is that due to their positive contributions to their nations, their spirits are eternally bound to the histories of their times. Wen T’ien-hsiang, a patriot who lived during the Sung Dynasty, said, “Who has lived and never died? It is best to do some good for your country.” An important part of both of these statements is the message that no one needs to become famous or make immense contributions to live a life that is both valuable and in full accordance with the laws of nature. Wealth and longevity pale beside a life that is lived with honor and respect for there are few virtues that are greater than these. It seems that people in the past were more aware of this deep truth than people nowadays. In the past, many people willingly sacrificed their lives for the good of others and everyone thought that that was the right thing to do. Nowadays it seems that most people are more concerned with living to be very old and dying peacefully than they are with anything else. This kind of thinking is misguided for it is only by living with complete awareness of the natural interconnectedness of all sentient beings that we can truly fulfill the deepest potential of our lives. Buddhists have many ways of describing this interconnectedness: they say, “life and death are one in the same,” or “all sentient beings are one,” or “the great body is a body of compassion.” Death is not something that should be feared, rather life is something that should be lived to the fullest.

All of us should face hardship with courage and thus, by our resolve, plant the seeds of strength for a future harvest. All of us should examine our minds and remove from them seeds of anger and defiled thinking so that we can begin the real work of planting seeds of joy and compassion. And all of us should discard those parts of ourselves that prevent us from cooperating with others, for each one of us must learn to help other sentient beings. No one should ever forget that the well being of others is every bit as important to us as our own well being. When we increase the wisdom of society by our good behavior, we inspire others to live lives of joy and kindness. When we treat our families with the utmost compassion and respect, we teach them how to take the lessons of Buddhism out of the home and into the world where all beings everywhere can begin to benefit from them. Respect for life is as fundamental to the laws of nature as it is to the truths taught by the Buddha.

A natural life in living nature

All of life is one and all of life depends on all of its parts. The vast variety and complexity of life is something that all of us should treasure with all of our hearts. Unfortunately, humankind for too long has thought of itself as the “soul of nature” and in this has ceased showing respect and appreciation for the many other species of animals and plants that inhabit this world with us. To satisfy the needs of a mere moment, too many of us are willing to pillage and destroy entire ecosystems.

The Dharmapada says, “All beings fear death and they all fear the pain of a club. Think: how do they make you feel? Then do not kill and do not club; live peacefully with all beings and do not add to the violence of this world. Harm no one here and you will pass your next life in peace.” In the Diamond Sutra the Buddha says, “I will save all sentient beings by leading them all to nirvana without remainder.” Notice that the Buddha left no one out. When we violate other beings by taking their lives from them, we violate the highest laws of nature as well as the most basic precepts of Buddhism. Rather than killing sentient beings, we should be working toward helping them. When we compassionately reach out to all beings in the universe, we not only fulfill the teachings of the Buddha, we also fulfill the highest imperatives of the most profound laws of nature.

Some people who have learned to respect others still cling to the mistaken belief that at least they have the power to control their own deaths. While it is better to be mistaken about oneself than about the severity of violating others, it is not correct to believe that you have ultimate control over even your own life. Life is produced from a complex mixture of causes and conditions and it is maintained by the complex conditions of the societies in which we live. If these conditions are properly analyzed, it will be clear that there is no real “self” at the heart of them. The very notion of having a self is an illusion. And how could it be otherwise if everything is interconnected? In a sense, you do not belong to yourself and therefore you do not have the right to take even your own life. Life is something that has been produced by the processes of nature and the fundamental laws of the universe, and thus any act that harms life is a violation of nature.

In a very real sense, everything is alive and everything is important. A blade of grass, a small stone—these too have been produced by the vast and complex interworkings of all phenomena in the universe. To violate even the smallest part of this complex web of interconnected causes and conditions is to violate the whole. How much worse is it then when we destroy whole forests, dam the Yangtze River, or tear out the hearts of mountains in a vain search for even more “wealth?” In this context, let us remember the example set for us by Shyamaka Bodhisattva who was so afraid of harming the earth that he always walked with the most gentle of strides. Master Pien Tan San was so concerned with the well-being the plants around him that he ate only chestnuts that had fallen to the ground. The examples set by these two sages are magnificent! Just thinking of their compassion can help us renew our strength! Our interconnectedness with a vibrant and living natural world is something none of us should ever allow ourselves to forget. The world is alive. Remember, Amitabha’s Pure Land is described as having “water and birds that preach the Dharma.” When Tao Sheng “spoke the Dharma, the stones all nodded in approval.” All of this reiterates the fundamental truth spoken by the Buddha: “Sentient as well as non-sentient beings are replete with ultimate wisdom.”

We must learn to revere all of life because all of life is interconnected and all of it depends on all of its parts. All life should be seen as having immense value since each and every instance of life is completely unique. Each and every instance is formed from a myriad of causes and conditions and it will never recur in just that way again. This is the reason why the Buddha taught us to follow willingly the conditions that arise around us as we probe for the deep center that is the source of our being. If we can learn to be like this, then we will be able to face all situations peacefully as we successfully blend our small sense of selfhood with the larger reality of the oneness of all of life.

Flowing with nature, finding the eternal

Nature is based on harmony and it finds its balance through the harmonious functioning of its many parts. That which obstructs nature brings trouble to itself as it forces the basic harmony of life to decline into discord. The ancients used to say, “To oppose the flow of nature is to be mentally ill.” Greed, anger, ignorance, pride, doubt, and jealousy are all mental defilements that run counter to the flow of nature; they always cause more problems than they solve and they usually lead us only deeper into error. Defilements like these are a kind of excess or a mistaken corrective that rebels against the natural flow of life. If we hoard our money, then we will never put it to good use. If we squander it, then eventually we will be left with nothing more than the stale memory of our profligacy. Most of us can understand these foolish uses of money, but is the situation not the same with our life force? If we have a high social position, but we do nothing to benefit society are we not just like a miser who clings to his wealth even as he squanders his best opportunities? Similarly, if we waste our energies in dissipation and self-centered activities, are we not foolishly turning our lives against the natural flow of that which alone is deeply true?

Whenever we fail to flow with the harmonious current of the natural world within us and around us, we bring trouble to ourselves. For example, if we spend our days lying listlessly in bed, we will sap our vitality. If we stand all day long, we will hurt our legs. If we work constantly without ever resting, we will cause ourselves to become seriously fatigued. Whatever we do to excess violates the basic harmony of nature. And if we persist, we eventually will cause ourselves to become seriously ill. In like manner, our treatment of the natural world around us will always cause problems when we are excessive in our desires or lax in our vigilance. In the last few centuries, humankind has learned to manufacture an enormous variety of material goods, and yet still we have not learned how to balance our needs and desires with the imperatives of nature. How much of the earth have we polluted and how many of its ecosystems have we destroyed? The fact that we cannot even accurately measure the totality of our destruction shows full well how much we have violated the harmony and balance of nature. And that violation will return to haunt us for the even more profound balance of the law of karma will never change.

Nature and karma are similar, if not the same. When we do something good for the world, a good reward comes to us. When we do something evil to the world, a painful retribution results. Cause and effect form the spokes on a wheel that turns continuously, without beginning or end. Our very lives themselves are the temporary manifestations of a process of cause and effect that has been going on for eons. Already, each one of us has lived and died a thousand thousand times. Death is the beginning of a new life, while each life is the start of a new death that is yet to come. If this point is properly understood, we should be able to see that death is never an absolute end to anything and that life is never an absolute condition that persists without change. The temporary appearance and disappearance of a body in this world is nothing more than a manifestation that is born of much deeper causes. The mind stream of karma in which a body floats like a leaf is infinitely deeper than the corporal form it upholds. Life is like the fire that consumes one log after another. When we die, it is like changing our clothes. We may look different, but deep down we are the same. Great Buddhist masters of the past all understood completely that life and death are just different aspects of the same thing. Bodhidharma (?-535) faced death with perfect insouciance, as did P’ang Yun (?-808) and the Ch’an master Fei Hsi. The Living Buddha of Chin Mountain (1852-1935) calmly passed away without protest or complaint while taking a shower.

Life is a product of causes and conditions, while death is a product of their dispersal. If we gaze upon life and death from the highest level of truth, we will see that they are fundamentally nonexistent. Nothing is born and nothing dies. The truth is far deeper than that! This is why great Buddhist masters work not so much to overcome the cycle of birth and death, but rather to see deeply into their own basic nature, for this nature already is beyond life and death. Whenever a sentient being can even so much as glimpse his inner nature, he frees himself from immense trouble for his inner nature is nothing less than the mind of Buddha. When sages glimpse the Buddha mind, they change forever. They willingly give their lives to others for they understand completely that all sentient beings are one. The Ch’an master Wei Shan (771-853) vowed that he would be reborn as a mule so he could help others with their burdens. Ch’an master Chao Chou (778-897), similarly, vowed to be reborn in hell so that he could be of aid to the sentient beings trapped there. When the underlying harmony of all of life is truly understood, one no longer lives for oneself, but rather for the good of all sentient beings everywhere. Great masters no longer become lost in the concerns of individual lives for they see individual lives as being like mere stray clouds that dot the great expanse of the sky.

The I Ching says, “The heavens move with constant regularity; the sage improves himself without ceasing.” This ancient piece of wisdom tells us that we must not only conform to the natural world, we must emulate it as well. Just as the sun and the rain nurture and produce life in this world, so we must turn our attention to the needs of others. When we act out of compassion and concern for the well being of others, we enter the most profound levels of nature, for in so doing we commingle with the currents of the natural world’s deepest resources.

A natural life in accordance with the teachings of the Buddha

If we were to replace the word nature with just one word, that word would be “Tao” or “the way.” The great master Hui Hai said, “When you are hungry, eat. When you are tired, sleep.” Master Yao Shan Wei Yen (751-834) said, “The clouds are in the sky while water is in the bottle.”

The Tao of living is simply to live in accordance with the ways of nature. The Buddha said that there were five kinds of “unnatural” people: those who do not smile when they should smile, those who do not feel joy when they should feel joy, those who do not feel compassion when they should feel compassion, those who are not repulsed by things that should repulse them, and those who hear of good things but do not feel glad. People like that are living in a way that is contrary to the deep truths of their natural emotions. Buddhism teaches us that we can avoid being “unnatural” in these ways if we emphasize the positive aspects of life. Living a life in accordance with the Tao means finding and accepting the positive currents that flow through nature. We can discover these currents and immerse ourselves in them through our practice of Buddhism. The Buddha taught morality, meditation, and wisdom to help us live lives that conform positively to the deep laws that govern all of life. His explication of the natural law of dependent origination was designed to help us fully understand the phenomenal world in which we live. The Buddha taught us compassion and generosity so that we would understand how to make positive contributions to the world. By his example, he showed us that a life that is lived for others is the highest form of life; such a life conforms perfectly to the Tao of nature because it raises the awareness of all sentient beings who come into contact with it. 

The basic rules of life are no different today than they were in the past. If we want to live well and do our best while we are in this world, then we must live in accordance with the flow of nature as it finds expression both inside of us and outside of us. We must honor the rights and feelings of our spouses, children, neighbors and coworkers. If we want to begin a new business enterprise, we must respect the marketplace and take into consideration all of the many factors that will go into making our efforts pay off. If we want to improve the governance of our societies, then we must pay close attention to the needs of the people as we strive to set an example that is worthy of their natural and heartfelt respect. The imperative that we live in accordance with the natural laws of nature and the human heart is even more important for those of us who call ourselves Buddhists. Above all others, we must strive to set examples that inspire and comfort our fellow beings. Our words must be truthful and our motives must be pure, for this is the only way that we can ever hope to be of lasting value to others. In seeking this way of being, we will find that we are conforming perfectly to the way of nature as well, for the Tao of nature lies as much in our hearts as it does in the world that surrounds us.

No one knows how many great masters have become enlightened through the years, but we do know that all of them understood that the enlightened mind and the natural mind are practically the same thing. Master Liang Chieh (807-869) became enlightened while contemplating his reflection in a river. Master Hsiang Yen (?-898) awoke to his Buddha nature while tilling the soil. Master Hsu Yun (1840-1959) became enlightened when a cup of tea slipped from his hand. There is a Ch’an poem that describes the relationship between the enlightened mind and the natural mind very well. It goes like this:

Before samadhi, the mountains were mountains
and the streams were streams.
In samadhi, the mountains were no longer mountains
and the streams were no longer streams.
After samadhi, the mountains were mountains
and the streams were streams again.

The natural world is our great body. We are it and it is us. There is another poem that expresses this point quite well:

The jade green leaves of bamboo
express ultimate wisdom,
while the various flowers around them
reveal mysterious truths.

To live with the Tao of nature means to live truthfully within whatever circumstances we find ourselves and not to squander our energies by chasing after the false appearances of our delusions. The universe that we see around us is nothing more than a projection of our own minds. The great cosmos that envelops us resides as well within the center of our own hearts. Thus, nature is truth, nature is the Buddhadharma, nature is the inherent goodness that lies within all of us, nature is the fullness and the culmination of the being of all things.

The BLIA has just entered its eighth year since its founding. Though we are a strong organization, we must remember that we are like a small tree; there is a long way to go before we reach the limits of our potential. In the past, our annual conferences have had different themes than the one we are convening under today, and yet each of those past themes is in perfect accordance with everything that I have spoken about today. We have been successful as a group up to this point because everything that we have done has been in accordance with the deep laws of nature. Some of our past themes were, “Joy and Harmony,” “Respect and Tolerance,” “Equality and Peace,” and “Wholeness and Freeness.” The BLIA has grown because we have based ourselves on the laws of nature as they were explained by Shakyamuni Buddha. In the future, we must continue on this path for this is the way of the sages. If we continue to follow the example set by Shakyamuni Buddha and by the great masters of the past, we will be assured of facing all hardships with the courage, compassion and resolve necessary for fully overcoming them. When we bring our lives as well as the life of the BLIA into full compliance with the laws of nature, there is nothing that can prevent us from spreading the teachings of the Buddha to all corners of the world.

In closing, I would like to wish on all of you who are present the joy of the Dharma and the enduring wisdom of a life lived within it.