What is the difference between 自然【しぜん】 and 自然【じねん】?


>
> これがひとり飲【の】みだと、自然【しぜん】と自分【じぶん】と向【む】き合【あ】う時間【じかん】ができる([source](https://www.asahi.com/and/article/20220114/413354707/?iref=comtop_And_02))  
>  _When you drink alone, you naturally have time to face yourself._

When I looked up the vocabulary in this sentence in WWWJDIC, the English
definitions do not suggest a great difference in meaning between 【しぜん】 and
【じねん】:

> 自然 【しぜん】 (n) (1) nature; (adj-na,n) (2) natural; spontaneous; automatic;
> (adv,adv-to) (3) naturally; spontaneously; automatically; (P); 【じねん】 ;
> (n,adv) occurring naturally (without human influence)

On [Goo](https://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/word/en/%E8%87%AA%E7%84%B6/#je-31432),
there are many more entries and examples with the reading 【しぜん】, but there is
also
[this](https://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/word/%E8%87%AA%E7%84%B6_%28%E3%81%98%E3%81%AD%E3%82%93%29/)

> じ‐ねん【自然】 の解説  
>  １ （「に」や「と」を伴って副詞的に用いる）おのずからそうであること。ひとりでにそうなること。  
>  _Explanation of "ji-nen" (natural)  
>  1 (used adverbially with "ni" or "to") To be naturally so. To be naturally
> so._

If I understand both the WWWJDIC and Goo entries, it seems that 自然 + と should
produce this reading:

> これがひとり飲【の】みだと、自然【じねん】と自分【じぶん】と向【む】き合【あ】う時間【じかん】ができる

In summary, if 自然 stands all by itself, it is read 【しぜん】, but if 自然 is
followed by と, it is read 【じねん】. Is my understanding correct?




You're probably reading a bit too much into this. 自然【しぜん】 is the reading of
the word for almost all modern contexts. The reading じねん is mostly only used
when reading Buddhist texts. If you google [自然 しぜん じねん
違い](https://www.google.com/search?q=%E8%87%AA%E7%84%B6%20%E3%81%97%E3%81%9C%E3%82%93%20%E3%81%98%E3%81%AD%E3%82%93%20%E9%81%95%E3%81%84&sxsrf=APq-
WBu0Y5VZIhsqK3gW-
jVmDoRbkJ9lvQ%3A1650651485087&ei=XfFiYrL3BMzVkPIPx66DyAY&ved=0ahUKEwjymar7o6j3AhXMKkQIHUfXAGkQ4dUDCA8&uact=5&oq=%E8%87%AA%E7%84%B6%20%E3%81%97%E3%81%9C%E3%82%93%20%E3%81%98%E3%81%AD%E3%82%93%20%E9%81%95%E3%81%84&gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EAMyBAgjECc6BwgAEEcQsANKBAhBGABKBAhGGABQzQRY7QZg5whoAXABeACAAVSIAZ0BkgEBMpgBAKABAcgBCsABAQ&sclient=gws-
wiz), you get some articles that say about the same thing.
([ギモン雑学](https://zatugaku-gimonn.com/entry5467.html),
[Hinative](https://hinative.com/ja/questions/18197093), [Gogen
Yurai](https://gogen-
yurai.jp/shizen/#:%7E:text=%E8%87%AA%E7%84%B6%E3%81%AE%E8%AA%AD%E3%81%BF%E3%81%AB%E3%81%AF,%E3%81%8C%E4%BD%BF%E3%82%8F%E3%82%8C%E3%81%A6%E3%81%84%E3%81%9F%E3%80%82))

There is also a [Wikipedia
section](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%87%AA%E7%84%B6#%E8%87%AA%E7%84%B6%EF%BC%88%E3%81%98%E3%81%AD%E3%82%93%EF%BC%89)
about じねん. Again, it seems like it is only being used in the context of
buddhism. Here is an excerpt:

>
> 自然（じねん）とは、万物が現在あるがままに存在しているものであり、因果によって生じたのではないとする無因論のこと。仏教の因果論を否定し、仏教から見た外道の思想のひとつである。

It seems to refer to the idea that all things inherently exist the way they
are, and are unaffected by the relationships of karma. It is a way of thinking
that is condemned within buddhism.




You're probably reading a bit too much into this. 自然【しぜん】 is the reading of
the word for almost all modern contexts. The reading じねん is mostly only used
when reading Buddhist texts. If you google [自然 しぜん じねん
違い](https://www.google.com/search?q=%E8%87%AA%E7%84%B6%20%E3%81%97%E3%81%9C%E3%82%93%20%E3%81%98%E3%81%AD%E3%82%93%20%E9%81%95%E3%81%84&sxsrf=APq-
WBu0Y5VZIhsqK3gW-
jVmDoRbkJ9lvQ%3A1650651485087&ei=XfFiYrL3BMzVkPIPx66DyAY&ved=0ahUKEwjymar7o6j3AhXMKkQIHUfXAGkQ4dUDCA8&uact=5&oq=%E8%87%AA%E7%84%B6%20%E3%81%97%E3%81%9C%E3%82%93%20%E3%81%98%E3%81%AD%E3%82%93%20%E9%81%95%E3%81%84&gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EAMyBAgjECc6BwgAEEcQsANKBAhBGABKBAhGGABQzQRY7QZg5whoAXABeACAAVSIAZ0BkgEBMpgBAKABAcgBCsABAQ&sclient=gws-
wiz), you get some articles that say about the same thing.
([ギモン雑学](https://zatugaku-gimonn.com/entry5467.html),
[Hinative](https://hinative.com/ja/questions/18197093), [Gogen
Yurai](https://gogen-
yurai.jp/shizen/#:%7E:text=%E8%87%AA%E7%84%B6%E3%81%AE%E8%AA%AD%E3%81%BF%E3%81%AB%E3%81%AF,%E3%81%8C%E4%BD%BF%E3%82%8F%E3%82%8C%E3%81%A6%E3%81%84%E3%81%9F%E3%80%82))

There is also a [Wikipedia
section](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%87%AA%E7%84%B6#%E8%87%AA%E7%84%B6%EF%BC%88%E3%81%98%E3%81%AD%E3%82%93%EF%BC%89)
about じねん. Again, it seems like it is only being used in the context of
buddhism. Here is an excerpt:

>
> 自然（じねん）とは、万物が現在あるがままに存在しているものであり、因果によって生じたのではないとする無因論のこと。仏教の因果論を否定し、仏教から見た外道の思想のひとつである。

It seems to refer to the idea that all things inherently exist the way they
are, and are unaffected by the relationships of karma. It is a way of thinking
that is condemned within buddhism.

