Buddha Nature Talks
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In Buddhist philosophy and soteriology, Buddha-nature (Chinese: fóxìng 佛性, Japanese: busshō, Sanskrit: buddhatā, buddha-svabhāva) is the innate potential for all sentient beings to become a Buddha or the fact that all sentient beings already have a pure Buddha-essence within themselves. "Buddha-nature" is the common English translation for several related Mahāyāna Buddhist terms, most notably tathāgatagarbha and buddhadhātu, but also sugatagarbha, and buddhagarbha. Tathāgatagarbha can mean "the womb" or "embryo" (garbha) of the "thus-gone one" (tathāgata), and can also mean "containing a tathāgata". Buddhadhātu can mean "buddha-element", "buddha-realm", or "buddha-substrate".
Buddha-nature has a wide range of (sometimes conflicting) meanings in Indian Buddhism and later in East Asian and Tibetan Buddhist literature. Broadly speaking, it refers to the belief that the luminous mind, "the natural and true state of the mind", which is pure (visuddhi) mind undefiled by afflictions, is inherently present in every sentient being, and is eternal and unchanging. It will shine forth when it is cleansed of the defilements, that is, when the nature of mind is recognized for what it is.
The Mahāyāna Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra (2nd century CE), which was very influential in the Chinese reception of these teachings, linked the concept of tathāgatagārbha with the buddhadhātu. The term buddhadhātu originally referred to the relics of Gautama Buddha. In the Mahāyāna Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra, it came to be used in place of the concept of tathāgatagārbha, reshaping the worship of physical relics of the historical Buddha into worship of the inner Buddha as a principle of salvation.
The primordial or undefiled mind, the tathāgatagārbha, is also often equated with the Buddhist philosophical concept of emptiness (śūnyatā, a Mādhyamaka concept); with the storehouse-consciousness (ālāyavijñāna, a Yogācāra concept); and with the interpenetration of all dharmas (in East Asian traditions like Huayan). The belief in Buddha-nature is central to East Asian Buddhism, which relies on key Buddha-nature sources like the Mahāyāna Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra. In Tibetan Buddhism, the concept of Buddha-nature is equally important and often studied through the key Indian treatise on Buddha-nature, the Ratnagotravibhāga (3rd–5th century CE).
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Two Approaches to God: Prophet and MysticSerial: NC-01071 Community Retreat Spring 2002 OSB Cam, History of religion, Thomas Aquinas, Meister Eckhart, Bonaventure, Apophatic, Prophetic,... |
Apr 2002 2 of 5 (#4 not recorded) New Camaldoli Hermitage |
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Desert Spirituality / Cassian and DiadochusSerial: NC-00005 Session 1 & 2 of "Continual Prayer in Eastern and Western Christianity" Talk 1: The Pursuit of Continual Prayer in Desert Spirituality Talk 2: The... OSB Cam, Buddha Nature, Buddha, Posture, Buddhism, Instruction |
1996 1 of 2 New Camaldoli Hermitage |
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Unknown Date, Serial 00222, Side ASerial: NC-00222A Archival Photo Sutra, Buddha Nature, Buddha, Enlightenment, Buddhism |
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Unknown Date, Serial 00209Serial: NC-00209 Archival Photo Ego, Buddha Nature, confusion, Enemies, Intuition |
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Unknown Date, Serial 00225Serial: NC-00225 Archival Photo Buddha Nature, Letting Go, Enlightenment, Buddha, Vow |
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Unknown Date, Serial 00213Serial: NC-00213 Archival Photo Bowing, Buddha, Buddha Nature, Suzuki Roshi, Buddhism |
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