Buddha and nature as depicted in Aśvaghoṣa’s buddhacarita

Abstract

This paper emphasizes the deep interdependence of nature and the Buddha as depicted in Buddhacarita of Aśvaghoṣa Bodhisattva. The text contends that the Buddha was inextricably linked with the natural world throughout his life. Nature is the Buddha's ally in the path to enlightenment, cultivating a deep regard for nature's extraordinary beauty and diversity. The accounts of the Buddha's life in Buddhacarita are difficult to divide between stories, facts, and myths. Many plants, flowers, animals, and trees are linked to Buddha's life story. Animals affected the Buddha's yearning for Nibbāna; observing the suffering of both mankind and animals motivated him to seek enlightenment. Furthermore, the Buddha's relationship with natural events is portrayed as one of the Buddha's vast and amazing traits. This paper employs the literary analysis method on three well-known English translations. The first is The Buddhacarita, or Acts of the Buddha, which E.H. Johnson translated from Sanskrit and augmented with the Tibetan version. The second is E.B. Cowell's translation from Sanskrit titled The Buddhacarita of Aśvaghoṣa. The last is Samuel Beal's translation from Chinese of The Fo-Sho-Hing-Tsan-King. According to the findings, Buddha's life is a remarkable example of the close relationship between humans and nature. It serves as a reminder that human and nonhuman ecosystems are intrinsically linked and intertwined.