[Buddha-l] The course of Nature

[jkirk]

>
> 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. 
========================
Thanks--but Laws of Nature seems to be the concept at work here,
not "course of nature" although what you quoted indeed suggests a
developmental course. Sorry, I'm not able to answer your question
but I now see why you asked it.
Joanna

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