July–December 2018, Volume 45
Feature
The Buddhahood of Plants and Trees: The Environment and Buddha-Nature
In Buddhism the idea that “All sentient beings possess buddha-nature” first appeared in the Mahayana Nirvana Sutra, which was translated into Chinese in the fifth century, and exerted a great influence upon Buddhism in China and Japan.
In Japan, the Tendai monk Annen (841–915?) asserted that even non-sentient beings, to say nothing of sentient beings, possess buddha-nature and can even attain buddhahood. This idea was widely accepted in Japanese Buddhist circles and also left its mark on literature and the traditional arts, such as Noh drama.
The idea that spirits dwell in plants and all objects that comprise the natural environment is common to Shinto and is familiar to many Japanese people. It is also often referred to in the discussion of environmental protection as an important concept informing Japanese views of nature, and may underlay the idea of harmonious coexistence between human beings and nature which is popular in Japan.
The buddhahood of non-sentient beings means not only that plants and all aspects of the environment possess the buddha-nature, but also that they can attain buddhahood. This prompts us to imagine dynamic relationships, if not visible interactions, between human beings and plants, and between human beings and all things that make up the natural environment, as fellow beings that possess the buddha-nature and the potential to attain buddhahood.
The global climate is changing rapidly largely due to the exponential increase of humanity’s economic activities, which affect the subtle balance of biological ecosystems and put the survival of many species at risk. At such a time, it may be useful to reconsider the idea of the buddhahood of non-sentient beings as part of our quest for a way in which human beings and all things in nature can live harmoniously, which may be our only option if future generations of humanity are to survive on planet Earth.
On Interbeing and Learning to Respect Everything Beyond the Self
by Hiroshi Munehiro Niwano
Human beings capable of attaining buddhahood coexist interdependently with “everything beyond the self.” In other words, it is through their interbeing with the universe and this planet—with the air, water, and earth of the global environment and with the fauna and flora that inhabit it—that they experience and sustain life.
The Buddhahood of Plants and the Japanese View of Nature
by Fumihiko Sueki
According to [Annen], there was not . . . a clear distinction between sentient and nonsentient: at the root of the mind of the generality of sentient beings is the heart-mind (Skt., hṛdaya) held in common with trees and grasses, and it is this hṛdaya that attains buddhahood.
Does a Dewdrop Teach Dharma? Zen Perspectives on the Teachings of the Insentient
by Kenneth Kraft
Can “ecological awakening” stretch to accommodate a spiritual meaning along the lines of Buddhism’s “teachings of the insentient”? Without both kinds of awakening, will future generations find the moon in a dewdrop?
The Buddhahood of All Insentient Beings
by Brook Ziporyn
The life of each thing, the lifelessness of each thing, the many lives of each thing, the many deadnesses of each thing, the infinite simultaneous alternate lives of each thing, the infinite simultaneous alternate deaths of each thing: that is buddhahood.
A Prayer for “Plants and Trees, Countries and Lands, All Become Buddhas”
by Shinsui Okada
“Plants and trees, countries and lands, all become buddhas” is not a question of whether or not plants, trees, countries, and lands attain buddhahood; rather, it is first and foremost a prayer for the repose of the wounded and dead in nature.
How Do We Respect the Buddha-Nature of Nature?
by David R. Loy
We desecrate the natural world when we relate to it only as an instrumental means to some other goal (such as economic growth). We resacralize it when we realize and respect its own buddha-nature.
Flowers of Sentience, Roots of Consciousness: The Buddhahood of Plants in the Nō Theater
by M. Cody Poulton
Both Shinto and Buddhism acknowledge that sentience can exist across a broad spectrum of life, from the simplest organic structures to supernatural entities that, though invisible, may direct our lives in ways we still don’t understand.
Niwano Peace Prize
Diversity Builds Unity The Thirty-Fifth Niwano Peace Prize Acceptance Address
by Fadi Daou
The Niwano Peace Foundation awarded the thirty-fifth Niwano Peace Prize to the Adyan Foundation in Lebanon in recognition of its continued service to global peace building, notably its development of a program for children and educators offering guidance to peace and reconciliation for those affected by war in Syria. The award ceremony took place on May 9, 2018, at the International House of Japan, Tokyo. The recipient’s address follows.
Rissho Kosei-kai Buddhism
Buddha-Nature (1) Revering Buddha-Nature
by Dominick Scarangello
Revering another’s buddha-nature develops one’s own innate “buddhaness” by drawing attention to and revealing the buddha-nature in others, making them aware of their own intrinsic human dignity and their ability to realize their full potential.
