[Buddha-l] The course of Nature

[John Willemsens]

>
> Friends,
> I would appreciate definitions/understandings of the concept of
> "the course of Nature", particularly as used in Buddhism, if at
> all.
> With thanks,
> John Willemsens,
> Advayavada Foundation.
> http://www.advayavada.nl
> advaya at euronet.nl
>
> ===============
> Could you tell us more about where you find this concept being
> used? I've not seen it in along time.............
> Joanna
>
>
The mention I encountered last is in Being and Value, by Yang Guorong, in 
the April 2008 issue of Philosophy East and West, of which interesting essay 
the following excerpt for your ready reference:

"When humans make use of their knowledege of Dao to realize their ideal of 
value, they are following the laws of natural process, but simultaneously 
they are also going beyond it. Thus, in the realization of the ideal of 
value, observing laws of Nature goes hand in hand with the cultivation of 
virtue. Dai Zhen, an important eighteenth-century thinker, offers a 
wonderful explanation [in his treatise On Goodness]:

'What issues from the Dao of Nature and simulatenously brings no regret [to 
humans] is called the virtue of Nature; what issues from the desires of 
human nature and simultaneously commits no mistake is called the virtue of 
human nature. The desires of human nature accord with Nature; the virtues of 
human nature return to necessity. It is precisely in returning to necessity 
that Nature attains full status as Nature. This is called the perfection of 
Nature.'

According to this understanding, in the realization of value ideals, humans, 
while perfecting themselves, are actually participating in the evolving 
process of Nature itself and thereby perfecting Nature. The two processes 
overlap and become unified."

John Willemsens.