Metaphors of nature in Zen Buddhism by Thich Nhat Hanh

This study investigates the nature metaphors employed by Thich Nhat Hanh, a renowned Vietnamese monk and Zen Buddhist master, in his teachings of various abstract Zen Buddhist concepts. It further examines the conceptual metaphors underlying those expressions by applying the theoretical framework of Lakoff and Johnson’s Conceptual Metaphor Theory. Data were collected from 14 of Thich Nhat Hanh’s best-selling English books. The findings reveal two main groups of nature metaphors—living and non-living entities—comprising ten subgroups: plant, human, and animal metaphors (living); and water/bodies of water, place, fire, light, celestial objects, earth, and wind metaphors (non-living). These metaphors reflect eleven core conceptual metaphors: MENTAL FORMATIONS ARE PLANTS, MENTAL FORMATIONS ARE WATER, NEGATIVE MENTAL FORMATIONS ARE FIRE, MINDFULNESS IS A PLANT, MINDFULNESS IS A MOTHER/OLDER SIBLINGS, MINDFULNESS IS LIGHT, ENLIGHTENMENT IS A PLANT, ENLIGHTENMENT IS A PLACE, DHARMA PRACTICES ARE A JOURNEY/VOYAGE (TO ENLIGHTENMENT), MIND IS A HUMAN and SUFFERING (AS DUKKHA) IS A BODY OF WATER. The study demonstrates that nature metaphors may play a crucial role in conveying abstract Zen Buddhist teachings in a more tangible and relatable manner. Moreover, the findings offer significant implications for Zen Buddhist education, particularly in integrating nature-based metaphors into mindfulness practices, environmental education, and moral cultivation. This study may be useful in understanding metaphors used in different Buddhist sects. Future research should expand beyond nature metaphors to include comparative analysis across different types of metaphors Thich Nhat Hanh used, implement multilingual corpus studies incorporating original Vietnamese texts, and investigate nature metaphors in different Buddhist sects.