Buddha-nature - Knowledge

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pa thams cad kyi yang mdzod spyi mes chen po 'di'i ngo bo lhun gyis grub pa'i ngang nyid kyi don/ rang rig pas mngon sum khong du chud nas blor bzhag par byar yang med pa'i don chen po rang gi rig pa la gsal bar bya ba yang/ ji ltar shes par bya zhe na/ shin tu rnal 'byor gyi theg pa 'di la/ rgyud lung man ngag gi gzhung ltar/ dang po gzhal bya'i chos gcig la/ rang gi so sor rtogs pa'i shes rab kyis gzhal bar byar yang med pa ste/ de ci'i phyir zhe na/ chos so cog tu grags pa thams cad/ ye gdod ma nyid nas spu ma brjes mdog ma bsgur bar rang byung gi ye shes thig le chen po'i klong du sangs rgyas pa'i rang bzhin la/ dngos po gzhal byar su yis mthong/ gtan tshigs su (p.292) yis bstan/ grub pa'i mtha' ci zhig chol/ 'jal byed gang gis byas te/ de dag gi ngo bo so so ba med pa'i phyir ma dmigs so/

5581:) of man into a seemingly Outer Space (phyi’i dbyings). Useful in this context is the picture of the Youthful-Vase-Body (gzhon nu bum pa’i sku). When the outer wall of this body which symbolizes the ground in its “inner” potentiality, is broken through, its “inner” light is seen in the “Outer Space”. Obviously, the term “Outer Space” (phyi’i dbyings) does not refer to some kind of “science-fiction like outer space”, but means that the ground is making room for itself in and as experienceable plenum. Moreover, the term “lamp” (sgron ma) also implies a bodily presence. It is the ground present in the concrete givenness of an individual being and thus, it is similar to the tathagatagarbha of the general Mahayana Buddhism. Source: 2718: 2391: 5247:(印順, 1906 – 2005) drew on Chinese Madhyamaka to argue against any Yogacara influenced view that buddha-nature was an underlying permanent ground of reality and instead supported the view that buddha-nature teachings are just an expedient means. Yin Shun, drawing on his study of Indian Madhyamaka promoted the emptiness of all things as the ultimate Buddhist truth, and argued that the buddha-nature teaching was a provisional teaching taught in order to ease the fear of some Buddhists regarding emptiness as well as to attract those people who have an affinity to the idea of a Self or 35: 3163: 6626: 7143: 6239: 983: 9718: 5212:, Oxford Buddhist scholar and Tibetan lama of the Shentong tradition writes of the buddha-nature or "true self" as something real and permanent, and already present within the being as uncompounded enlightenment. She calls it "the Buddha within", and writes that the Buddha, Nirvana and Buddha-wisdom can be referred to as the "True Self" (as it is done in some buddha-nature sutras). According to Hookham, in the shentong interpretation, buddha-nature is what truly exists, while not-self is what it is not. 5575:

visionary experience of form, colour, sound, etc., — without losing its quality of being empty of any concreteness. In other words, it is the inseparability of the empty essence (ngo bo stong pa) and the clear nature (rang bzhin gsal ba) of the ground (gzhi) in and as all-pervading compassion (thugs rje kun khyab) as it manifests outwardly in visionary experience. Of course, the term “manifest outwardly” (phyi snang) should not be taken too literally, rather, it should be understood as a projection

75: 12695: 3531: 12706: 10104: 10091: 656: 10081: 5630:"Clear mind is like the full moon in the sky. Sometimes clouds come and cover it, but the moon is always behind them. Clouds go away, then the moon shines brightly. So don't worry about clear mind: it is always there. When thinking comes, behind it is clear mind. When thinking goes, there is only clear mind. Thinking comes and goes, comes and goes. You must not be attached to the coming or the going." (Seung Sahn, 3351:"all dharmas without exception originate and are formed from the true, and other than the true, there exists absolutely nothing which can give rise to false thoughts." Ching-ying Hui-yuan equated this "true mind" with the storehouse consciousness and with buddha-nature and held that it was an essence, a true consciousness and a metaphysical principle that ensured that all sentient beings will reach enlightenment. 2967:"possessing the tathagata heart" is because emptiness, signlessness, wishlessness, and so on, exist in the mind streams of all sentient beings. However, it is not something like a permanent and all-pervasive person that is the inner agent. For we find such as "All phenomena have the nature of emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness. What is emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness is the Tathagata." 2379: 3019:… if one is a Madhyamika then that which enables sentient beings to become buddhas must be the very factor that enables the minds of sentient beings to change into the minds of Buddhas. That which enables things to change is their simple absence of inherent existence, their emptiness. Thus the tathagatagarbha becomes emptiness itself, but specifically emptiness when applied to the mental continuum. 2663:, tathāgatagarbha is the same as the ālayavijñāna (though this is qualified in other passages which explain that there are two layers of the ālayavijñāna, a pure and an impure layer). The storehouse consciousness is supposed to contain the pure tathāgatagarbha, from which awakening arises. Wayman notes that this synthesis of tathāgatagarbha thought and Yogacara Buddhism is a key innovation of the 5909: 3566: 4997:(1290–1364) likewise held that the buddha-nature teachings were not an ultimate or final teaching (like emptiness), seeing them as teachings of expedient meaning that merely points to emptiness. His view was that the basis for these teachings is the alaya-vijñana and also that buddha-nature is the dharmakaya of a buddha but "never exists in the great mass of sentient beings". 4631:(which uses the term pen-chileh, “original enlightenment”). Jacqueline Stone writes that Tendai doctrine held that enlightenment was "inherent from the outset and as accessible in the present, rather than as the fruit of a long process of cultivation." It was often held that hongaku was a feature of all phenomena, including plants and inanimate objects. 5057:, repeatedly exalts, as portrayed by Dolpopa, not the non-Self but the Self, and applies the following terms to this ultimate reality: "the Buddha-Self, the beginningless Self, the solid Self, the diamond Self." These terms are applied in a manner which reflects the cataphatic approach to Buddhism, typical of much of Dolpopa's writings. 5016:(1428–1507) meanwhile argues that the ultimate buddha-nature is an implicative negation, which means that its philosophical negation leaves something positive that is not negated by analysis. This is "mind's natural luminosity free from all extremes of reference points, which is the sphere of personally experienced wisdom." 6176:, p. 112: "The final form of expression indicating that tathāgatagārbha or Buddha nature involves a substantialist monistic theory is found is those passages stating that the tathāgatagārbha, dharmakāya, nirvāṇa, or Buddha nature is beyond cause and conditions, is unborn, quiescent, or unchanging." 4572:, equates the buddha-nature with the dharmakāya in line with pronouncements in key tathāgatagarbha sūtras. He defines these as "the inherent nature that exists in all beings....transcendental reality....the unity of the Buddha with everything that exists," and sees it as the goal of Mahayana Buddhism. 4952:(1938–2010) and Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal (born 1950), emphasise that the essential nature of the mind (the buddha-nature) is not a blankness, but is characterized by wonderful qualities and a non-conceptual perfection that is already present and complete, it's just obscured and we fail to recognize it. 3149:

each with their own inner nature. To make this teaching compatible with the notion of buddha-nature in all beings, Yogācāra scholars in China such as Tz'u-en (慈恩, 632–682) the first patriarch in China, advocated two types of nature: the latent nature found in all beings (理佛性) and the buddha-nature in

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describes buddha-nature as the natural luminous mind, which is a non-dual self-awareness. Brunnholzl also notes that for Ratnākaraśānti, this luminosity is equivalent to the Yogacara concept of the perfected nature, which he sees as an implicative negation. Ratnākaraśānti also describes this ultimate

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theg pa'i mchog rnal 'byor gyi phul yang tog/ rgyal ba ril gyi yum a ti yo ga'i don btsan pa ni/ mtshan rdzogs pa (p.291) chen po zhes bya ste/ ci'i phyir zhe na/ bsam gyis mi khyab pa'i chos thams cad ma brtsal lhun rdzogs pa'i don/ gcer grol go bar bya ba'i phyir zhib tu bstan te/ de lta bu'i theg

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an active threefold process which involves the way reality is, the wisdom to see reality as it is, and the practice required to attain this wisdom. Buddha Nature is threefold: the three aspects of reality, wisdom, and practice are interdependent—one aspect does not make any sense without the others.

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Matsumoto Shirō also points out that "buddha-nature" translates the Sanskrit-term buddhadhātu, a "place to put something," a "foundation," a "locus." According to Shirō, it does not mean "original nature" or "essence," nor does it mean the "possibility of the attainment of Buddhahood," "the original

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The unchanging, permanent status attributed to Buddha-nature is a radical departure is a departure from the language emphasizing impermanence within the discourses of early Buddhism. Indeed the language of Buddha-nature is strikingly similar to the very positions that Buddhists often argue against,

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Western scholars have reacted in different ways to this idea. Sallie B. King objects to their view, seeing the buddha-nature as a metaphor for the potential in all beings to attain Buddhahood, rather than as an ontological reality. Robert H. Sharf notes that the worries of the Critical Buddhists is

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Once one pronounces the words "emptiness" and "absolute", one has the impression of speaking of the same thing, in fact of the absolute. If emptiness must be explained through the use of just one of these two terms, there will be confusion. I must say this; otherwise you might think that the innate

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literature" is that buddha-nature really is present as "a hidden essence" within each being. According to Fowler, this view is "the idea that enlightenment, or nirvana, is not something which has to be achieved, it is something which is already there... In a way, it means that everyone is really a

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masters hold the teaching on buddha nature to be of definitive meaning and deny that the tathagata heart is just sheer emptiness or a nonimplicative negation." This means that most Kagyu scholars do not think that the strictly negative Madhyamaka explanation of buddha-nature is suffient on its own

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Therefore, the very impermanency of grass and tree, thicket and forest is the Buddha nature. The very impermanency of men and things, body and mind, is the Buddha nature. Nature and lands, mountains and rivers, are impermanent because they are the Buddha nature. Supreme and complete enlightenment,

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By the 6th century CE buddha nature had been well established in Chinese Buddhism and a wide variety of theories developed to explain it. One influential figure who wrote about buddha nature was Ching-ying Hui-yuan (523–592 CE), a Chinese Yogacarin who argued for a kind of idealism which held that

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equates buddha-nature with this ultimate basis, which it also calls by various names like "the spontaneous essence", "the innermost treasury of all vehicles", "the great universal grandfather , is to be experienced directly by self-awareness ", "sphere of the great circle of the self-awareness."

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This abides within the shroud of the afflictions, as should be understood through examples: Just like a buddha in a decaying lotus, honey amidst bees, a grain in its husk, gold in filth, a treasure underground, a shoot and so on sprouting from a little fruit, a statue of the Victorious One in a

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nondual unity of minds lucidity and emptiness or awareness and emptiness free from all reference points. It is not mere emptiness because sheer emptiness cannot be the basis of both samsára and nirvána. However, it is not mere lucidity either because this lucidity is a conditioned entity and the

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There are those who see it as an implicative negation, which means that there is something further to be said about buddha-nature that is not just the Madhyamaka emptiness based on pure negations of all concepts. This could include positive descriptions like the union of the mind's emptiness and

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Sutton agrees with Williams' critique on the narrowness of any single interpretation. In discussing the inadequacy of modern scholarship on buddha-nature, Sutton states, "One is impressed by the fact that these authors, as a rule, tend to opt for a single meaning disregarding all other possible

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included numerous traditions with their own interpretations of buddha-nature. The Dilun or Daśabhūmikā school and the Shelun school were some of the earliest schools in this Chinese Yogacara. The Dilun school became split on the issue of the relationship between the storehouse consciousness and

3009:. According to Kamalasila the idea that all sentient beings have tathāgatagarbha means that all beings can attain full awakening and also refers to how "the term tathāgata expresses that the dharmadhātu, which is characterized by personal and phenomenal identitylessness, is natural luminosity." 5574:

Scheidegger, Daniel (2007: p.27): Certainly, the main characteristic of what is named “lamp” (sgron ma) can be circumscribed as “inseparability of clarity and emptiness” (gsal stong dbyer med). Thus, it is that which makes itself clear (gsal ba) — i.e., that which actualizes itself in and as

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It is the emptiness of mind's being empty of being really established that is called "the naturally pure true nature of the mind." The naturally pure true nature of the mind in its phase of not being free from adventitious stains is called "sugata heart" or "naturally abiding disposition."

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Now while the verse of the Sixth Patriarch is the true understanding, the paradox for us is that we have to practice with the verse that was not accepted: we do have to polish the mirror; we do have to be aware of our thoughts and actions; we do have to be aware of our false reactions to

4669:, held that buddha-nature was simply the true nature of reality and being. This true nature was just impermanence, becoming and 'vast emptiness'. Because he saw the whole universe as an expression of buddha-nature, he held that even grass and trees are buddha-nature. According to Dōgen: 5675:

According to McRae, "T]he verse attributed to Shenxiu to a constant practice of cleaning the mirror Huineng's verse(s) apply the rhetoric of emptiness to undercut the substantiality of the terms of that formulation. However, the basic meaning of the first proposition still remains."

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tries to harmonize the ideas of the tathāgatagarbha and the storehouse consciousness (ālāyavijñāna) into a single theory which sees self, world, mind and ultimate realty as an integrated the "one mind", which is the ultimate substratum of all things (including samsara and nirvana).

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in Dzogchen as outlined by Longchenpa. This ground is said to be primordially pure (ka dag) and spontaneously present (Ihun grub). In Dzogchen, buddha nature, which is equated with the basis (gzhi) of all phenomena, is often explained as the unity of "primordial purity" (Wylie:

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According to Heng-Ching Shih, the teaching of the universal buddha-nature does not intend to assert the existence of substantial, entity-like self endowed with excellent features of a Buddha. Rather, buddha-nature simply represents the potentiality to be realized in the future.

4692:(1222–1282), views the buddha-nature present in all beings as "the inner potential for attaining Buddhahood". The emphasis in Nichiren Buddhism is on attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime, described as manifesting or summoning forth buddha-nature by chanting the name of the 2115:

can thus also imply "that sentient beings have a tathāgata within them in seed or embryo, that sentient beings are the wombs or matrices of the tathāgata, or that they have a tathāgata as their essence, core, or essential inner nature." According to Williams, the term

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but argues that the Buddha nature texts are aware of this and that Buddha nature is not necessarily un-Buddhist or anti-Buddhist. Likewise, Hirakawa Akira, sees buddha-nature as the potential to attain Buddhahood which is not static but ever changing and argues that

3142:(a subtle body which appears to bodhisattvas) and the Dharmakāya (ultimate reality). This doctrine was also later to be synthesized with buddha-nature teachings by various sources (with buddha-nature generally referring to the Dharmakaya as it does in some sutras). 5412:

Paul Williams too has criticised this view, saying that Critical Buddhism is too narrow in its definition of what constitutes Buddhism. According to Williams, "We should abandon any simplistic identification of Buddhism with a straightforward not-Self definition".

4533:(20th-century China), have taught that the process of awakening begins with the light of the mind turning around to recognize its own true nature, so that the storehouse consciousness (also called the 8th consciousness in Yogacara Buddhism), which is also the 2301:

This tathāgatagarbha idea was the result of an interplay between various strands of Buddhist thought, on the nature of human consciousness and the means of awakening. Gregory sees this doctrine as implying that enlightenment is the natural state of the mind.

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as follows: "Lord, this Tathagatagarbha is the Illustrious Dharmadhatu-womb, neither self nor sentient being, nor soul, nor personality. Is the dharmakaya-embryo, not the domain of beings who fall into the belief in a real personality. Is the supramundane

5064:(i.e. the buddha-nature teachings) is that they "are the final definitive statements on the nature of ultimate reality, the primordial ground or substratum beyond the chain of dependent origination, and which is only empty of other, relative phenomena." 5879:

Later he went to live on Ta-mei mountain. When the Patriarch heard that he was residing on the mountain, he sent one of his monks to go there and ask Fa-ch'ang, "What did the Venerable obtain when he saw Ma-tsu, so that he has come to live on this

5866:, in "The Three Pillars of Zen", drawing from Harada roshi, discerns a "Pure Consciousness" or "Formless Self" underlying the ālāya-vijñāna. This 9th consciousness was also mentioned by Paramārtha, a 6th century Indian translator working in China. 4486:

of early Chan, buddha-nature was equated with the nature of mind, while later sects sometimes rejected any identification of the term with the mind. This rejection of any reification of the term is reflected in the recorded sayings of Chan master

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offers an ontological synthesis of buddha-nature and Yogacara thought from the perspective of "essence-function" philosophy. It describes the "One Mind" which "includes in itself all states of being of the phenomenal and transcendental world. The

4731:, the nature of phenomena). This pure Madhyamaka view is described in as "a nonimplicative negation", which means that in one's philosophical analysis, one negates all forms of existence (and non-existence) completely, leaving nothing left over. 2359:

has the potential to become a buddha. East Asian commentaries saw these teachings as indicating that the Lotus sutra was also drawing on the concept of the universality of buddha-nature. The sutra shares other themes and ideas with the later

4545:, which states that one must let go of all discriminating notions of any kind to attain the perfect knowledge of the tathāgatagarbha. When this transformation is complete, the other seven consciousnesses are also transformed into wisdom. 3391:(384–414 CE) who was a key figure in outlining an understanding of emptiness which was based on the Indian sources and not on Daoist concepts which previous Chinese Buddhists had used. Jizang used the compound "Middle Way-buddha-nature" ( 5077:(without drawing on the buddha-nature sutras) to explain buddha-nature. Some Kagyu views can be similar to Jonang shentong and sometimes use shentong language, but they are generally less absolutist than Jonang views (the exception is 5862:, "the nirvanic basis known as the ground." Sam van Schaik: "....the Seminal Heart distinction between two types of basis, the nirvanic basis known as the ground (gzhi) and the samsaric basis of consciousness, the ālaya (kun gzhi). 5365:

idea." Sharf also has pointed out how certain Southern Chan masters were concerned with other interpretations of Buddha nature, showing how the tendency to critique certain views of Buddha nature is not new in East Asian Buddhism.

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As such, the ultimate principle is non-dual with all relative phenomena. Because the ultimate source of all things is also interdependent and interconnected with them, it remains a ground which is empty of self-existence

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as a central character (now reformed and turned into a bodhisattva). The text attributes various qualities to the universal tathāgatagarbha, such as non-arising, independence, invariability, and not being the perceptive

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In the sixth and seventh centuries, the Yogacara theory became associated with a substantialist non-dual metaphysics which saw buddha nature as an eternal ground. This idea was promoted by figures like Ratnamati. The

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presents the tathāgatagarbha as "an ultimate, unconditional reality that is simultaneously the inherent, dynamic process towards its complete manifestation". Mundane and enlightened reality are seen as complementary:

3395:中道佛性) to refer to his view. Jizang was also one of the first Chinese philosophers to famously argue that plants and insentient objects have buddha-nature, which he also termed true reality and universal principle ( 3360:

buddha-nature. The southern faction held that storehouse consciousness was identical with the pure mind, while the northern school held that the storehouse consciousness was exclusively a deluded and defiled mind.

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sutras, argued that the buddha-nature is "ultimately really established, everlasting, eternal, permanent, immutable (therzug), and being beyond dependent origination." This is the foundation of what is called the

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in the eighth century. During the early translation period, other works which synthesized and reconciled buddha-nature thought with Yogacara and Madhyamaka philosophy were also translated by Tibetan scholars like

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Of these three, Sutton claims that only the third connotation has any soteriological significance, while the other two posit buddha-nature as an ontological reality and essential nature behind all phenomena.

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ideologies which became dominant in the 8th century promoted the idea of an "underlying metaphysical substratum" or "underlying, invariant, universal metaphysical 'source'" and thus do seem to be a kind of

5104:) because it contains the very seed, the potential of Buddhahood. It resides in each and every being and because of this essential nature, this heart nature, there is the possibility of reaching Buddhahood. 4700:

Like the classic Tendai hongaku doctrine, Nichiren held that all life and even all insentient matter (such mandalas, images, statues) also possesses buddha nature, because they serve as objects of worship.

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a 13th century koan collection) which asks "does a dog have Buddha nature?" The enigmatic response given by the master is "no" ("wú'', Chinese, ''mu'' in Japanese) which can interpreted in various ways.

5032:(1292–1361), sees the buddha-nature as the very ground of the Buddha himself, as the "permanent indwelling of the Buddha in the basal state". According to Brunnholzl, Dolpopa, basing himself on certain 2351:, but Japanese scholars suggest that a similar idea is nevertheless expressed or implied in the text. The tenth chapter emphasizes that all living beings can become a Buddha. The twelfth chapter of the 2432:

tattered rag, a ruler of humankind in a destitute woman's womb, and a precious image under clay, this element abides within all sentient beings, obscured by the defilement of the adventitious poisons.

3415:. According to Paul L. Swanson, none of Zhiyi's works discuss buddha-nature explicitly at length however. Yet it is still an important concept in his philosophy, which is seen as synonymous with the 8125: 5355:

scriptures betray a similar anxiety, as they tacitly acknowledge that the doctrine is close to, if not identical with, the heretical ātmavāda teachings of the non- Buddhists." He also notes how the

3243:) which held there were two main ontological levels to reality, the most foundational being the buddha-nature, the "essence" of all phenomena (which in turn were the "functions" of buddha-nature). 3317:(reign 502–549 CE), in which he postulated a pure essence, the enlightened mind, trapped in darkness, which is ignorance. By this ignorance the pure mind is trapped in samsara. This resembles the 2624: 5140:

sees the buddha-nature as the "original clear light of mind", but points out that it ultimately does not exist independently, because, like all other phenomena, it is of the nature of emptiness:

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Madhyamaka. This view interprets buddha-nature teachings as an expedient ways to talk about the emptiness of inherent existence which should not be taken literally. Other schools, especially the

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is generally seen as the most authoritative. His is the view that buddha-nature is "mind's luminous ultimate nature or nondual wisdom, which is the basis of everything in samsara and nirvana."

1947:). According to Brown, "storehouse" may indicate both "that which enfolds or contains something", or "that which is itself enfolded, hidden or contained by another." The Tibetan translation is 2455:

linked the concept of tathāgatagarbha with the "buddhadhātu" ("buddha-nature" or "buddha-element") and it also equates these with the eternal and pure Buddha-body, the Dharmakaya, also called

2322:(1st–3rd century CE), which say that the Buddha's knowledge is all pervasive and is present in all sentient beings were also an important step in the development of buddha-nature thought. The 7475:

Hurley, Scott, The doctrinal transformation of twentieth-century Chinese Buddhism: Master Yinshun's interpretation of the tathagatagarbha doctrine, Contemporary Buddhism, Vol. 5, No. 1, 2004.

5240:), which emphasizes the potentiality to realize Buddhahood through Buddhist practices. In this view, the intention of the teaching of buddha-nature is soteriological rather than theoretical. 8596: 9622: 5402:

According to Lusthaus "in early T'ang China (7th–8th century) there was a deliberate attempt to divorce Chinese Buddhism from developments in India." Lusthaus notes that the Huayen thinker

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also says that the tathāgatagarbha is the basis of both saṃsāra and nirvāṇa and equates it with the dharmakāya (which is described as "permanent," "eternal," "everlasting," and "peaceful").

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Sudden Enlightenment Followed by Gradual Cultivation: Tsung-mi's Analysis of Mind. In: Peter N. Gregory (editor)(1991), Sudden and Gradual. Approaches to Enlightenment in Chinese Thought.

5133:(1364–1432) is that buddha-nature (the tathagata heart) is "the state of a being in whom mind's emptiness is obscured, while buddhas by definition do not possess this tathagata heart." 3919: 4580: 5875:

Compare Mazu's "Mind is Buddha" versus "No mind, no Buddha": "When Ch'an Master Fa-ch'ang of Ta-mei Mountain went to see the Patriarch for the first time, he asked, "What is Buddha?"

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free from all reference points, and states that the teaching that buddha-nature exists in all beings is of expedient meaning (not ultimate) and that its basis is emptiness, citing

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possibly dating to the 2nd century CE. Some scholars like Michael Radich argue that this is the earliest buddha-nature sutra. This sutra was very influential in the development of

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Just then, Ryokan returned. "You have travelled far to visit me," he told the burglar. "I cannot let you return empty handed. Here are my clothes, please accept them as my gift."

9215: 5774:, literally meaning "much rice" but denoting a rich man) is a type of compound that denotes a referent by specifying a certain characteristic or quality the referent possesses. 9610: 7338: 5158:

is an ecumenical movement in Tibet which started as an attempt to reconcile the various Tibetan schools in the 19th century. In contrast to the Gelugpa, which adheres to the

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empty of its own inherent existence". Shentong influenced interpretations tend to rely heavily on the buddha-nature sutras to balance the negative dialectics of Madhyamaka.

2894:. These works are unknown in other textual traditions and scholars disagree on whether they are translations, original compositions or a mixture of the two. These works are: 3215:

some Chinese Buddhists supposed that the teaching of the buddha-nature was, as stated by that sutra, the final Buddhist teaching, and that there is an essential truth above

2092:, such as "containing", "born from", "embryo", "(embracing/concealing) womb", "calyx", "child", "member of a clan", "core", which may all be brought into mind when the term 4773:

school, which sees itself as a continuation of the Kadampas, also hold this view, while also holding, as Chaba did, that buddha-nature teachings are of expedient meaning.

3278:, no Sanskrit version of the text is extant. The earliest known versions are written in Chinese, and contemporary scholars believe that the text is a Chinese composition. 2272:) is regarded to be the seed from which Buddhahood grows. Wayman thus argues that the pure luminous mind doctrine formed the basis for the classic buddha-nature doctrine. 4846:, and it is also the pure "natural spiritual disposition" (rigs) that is present within all beings which is also called the dharmakāya, and which he also calls the root ( 2615:

nature) and the four perfections of permanence, bliss, self and purity as qualities of the Buddha. It also discusses the non-dual nature of all sentient beings with the

1916:. The term refers to a Buddha, who has "thus gone" from samsara into nirvana, and "thus come" from nirvana into samsara to work for the salvation of all sentient beings. 9273: 2763:) which synthesised major elements and themes of the tathāgatagārbha theory. It gives an overview of key themes found in many tathāgatagarbha sutras, and it cites the 5288:("substantialism", sometimes rendered "locus theory" or "topicalism" and "generative monism") is not Buddhist at all. As defined by Matsumoto, this "locus" theory or 5177:

rangtong and shentong are not ultimately different as both can reach the ultimate state in practice. However, they do differ in how they describe ultimate reality (

4910:, the most authoritative figure in modern Nyingma, adopted a view of buddha-nature as the unity of appearance and emptiness, relating it to the descriptions of the 3446:

The direct cause of attaining Buddhahood, the innate potential in all sentient beings to become Buddhas, which is the aspect of 'true nature', the way things are.

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A Zen master, Ryokan, lived a life of simplicity in his hut near the mountains. When he was away one night, a thief broke in only to find nothing worth stealing.

754:

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

4482:, the absence of an independent and substantial "self". The term buddha-nature is interpreted in various ways throughout the voluminous Chan literature. In the 2049:

According to Brown, following Wayman & Hideko, "embryo" is the best fitting translation, since it preserves "the dynamic, self-transformative nature of the

9070: 7516: 6202:

Buddha-nature, however, is universal and unchanging. It is impossible for it to exist at one point and not at another. It transcends space, time, and movement.

5406:

was influential in this theological trend who promoted the idea that true Buddhism was about comprehending the "One Mind that alone is the ground of reality" (

4865:

texts, which presents the sugatagarbha as equivalent to the ultimate ground or basis of all reality. This teaching can be found in early Dzogchen sources like

3342:) as having two elements: one essential, immutable, changeless and still (the "essence"); the other an active and salvational inspirational power (function). 3371:(549–623 CE) sought to remove all ontological connotations of the term as a metaphysical reality and saw buddha nature as being synonymous with terms like " 8129: 10845: 8937: 4798:("other-empty") philosophy, which discerns an ultimate reality which "is empty of adventitious defilements which are intrinsically other than it, but is 11760: 10235: 5582: 9504: 4638:

schools, like Japanese Pure Land Buddhism, Zen and Nichiren. Japanese Pure Land Buddhism relied on Tendai buddha-nature doctrine. The founder of the

3949: 3253: 2471:

further claims that buddha-nature (and the Buddha's body, his Dharmakaya) is characterized by four perfections (pāramitās) or qualities: permanence (

2275: 4595:(a "wish fulfilling jewel"). Buddha nature texts often use the metaphor of a hidden jewel (buddha-nature) which all beings have, but are unaware of. 3885: 2500: 1309: 8957: 7966: 7499:

Muller, A. Charles (1999), "Essence-Function and Interpenetration: Early Chinese Origins and Manifestations", Bulletin of Toyo Gakuen University, 7

2520:

and links them to buddha-nature thought. This sutra also states that the mind's luminous nature, while being empty of adventitious defilements, is

1839: 1863:

may mean "embryonic tathāgata", "womb of the tathāgata", or "containing a tathagata". Various meanings may all be brought into mind when the term

11764: 5356: 3905: 3190: 2438: 1316: 851: 11988: 6960: 5890:

Fa-ch'ang said, "That old man still hasn't stopped confusing people. You can have 'neither mind nor Buddha,' I only care for 'mind is Buddha."'

5369:

Peter N. Gregory has also argued that at least some East Asian interpretations of Buddha nature are equivalent to what Critical Buddhists call

137: 5185:). Kongtrul "finds the Rangtong way of presentation the best to dissolve concepts and the Shentong way the best to describe the experience." 8172: 10205: 9394: 5316:

Buddhism." Other Japanese scholars responded to this view leading to a lively debate in Japan. Takasaki Jikido, a well known authority on

2991:, that "the statement of the emptiness of sentient beings being a buddha adorned with all major and minor marks is of expedient meaning". 7032: 4735:

luminosity, a non-dual buddha-wisdom, or even the eternal pure buddhic Self which includes all buddha-qualities (as in Jonang Shentong).

10313: 4888: 3138:(triple body) doctrine, in which the Buddha is held to have three bodies: Nirmanakaya (transformation body which people see on earth), 10048: 9458: 9181: 2004:, which date to the 2nd and third centuries CE. It is translated and interpreted in various ways by western translators and scholars: 982: 10070: 9224: 6234:

demonstrating a decisive break from the early Buddhist triad of impermanence (anitya), suffering (duḥkha), and selflessness (anātman)

4805:

These interpretations of the tathagatagarbha-teachings have been a matter of intensive debates in Tibetan Buddhism down to this day.

4495:, who sometimes would teach on the "ordinary mind" or say "Mind is Buddha," but at other times would say "Neither mind nor Buddha." 3449:

The complete cause of attaining Buddhahood, which is the aspect of wisdom that illuminates the true nature and the goal of practice.

12736: 7357: 2104: 9049: 5795:, which originally referred to relics. Worship of the physical relics of the Buddha was reshaped into worship of the inner Buddha. 12580: 12032: 6936: 5113: 2120:"may also have been intended simply to answer the question how it is possible that all sentient beings can attain the state of a 9600: 7428:

Liu, Ming-Wood (April 1985). "The Yogaacaaraa and Maadhyamika Interpretation of the buddha-nature Concept in Chinese Buddhism".

3111:(store consciousness) also came to be associated by some scholars with the tathāgatagarbha. This can be seen in sutras like the 12235: 10215: 8710:

King, Sallie B. (1997). "The Doctrine of Buddha Nature is Impeccably Buddhist". In Hubbard, Jamie; Swanson, Paul Loren (eds.).

8307:

Ruegg, David Seyfort (1981). The Literature of the Madhyamaka School of Philosophy in India. (Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz), 95n308.

7821:

as Interpreted by Fazang 法藏 (643–712): A Comparative Reflection on "Creator" and "Creation" 法藏（643–712）筆下《華嚴經》中的盧舍那：談佛教中的創世者和創世

5181:), since shentong describes the buddha-mind as ultimately real, while rangtong rejects this (fearing it will be confused as an 4461: 6016: 3055: 9649: 9539: 9170: 9039: 8909: 8891: 8398: 8325: 8183: 8105: 8057: 6383:. (NB: with an "Introduction" by T. O. Ling.) New York, NY, USA: Charles Scribner's Sons. SBN 684-12763-6 (trade cloth) p.240 5061: 1325: 1097: 9373: 8636:

Shirõ, Matsumoto (1997). "The Doctrine of Tathagata-garbha Is Not Buddhist". In Hubbard, Jamie; Swanson, Paul Loren (eds.).

7701:

Shuman Chen. Buddha-Nature of Insentient Beings. Encyclopedia of Psychology and Religion, 2nd ed., vol. 1, pp. 208–212, 2014

7588: 6660:

Nakamura, Hajime (1999), Indian Buddhism: A Survey With Bibliographical Notes, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers, p. 190

3452:

The conditional causes of attaining Buddhahood, which is the aspect of the practices and activities that lead to Buddhahood.

2890:

Takasaki Jikido notes various buddha nature treatises which exist only in Chinese and which are similar in some ways to the

2080:

an embryonic tathagata inside. In both cases, this embryonic tathagata still has to be developed. Zimmermann concludes that

946:, the concept of Buddha-nature is equally important and often studied through the key Indian treatise on Buddha-nature, the 10398: 10240: 9375:

Annual Report of the International Research Institute for Advanced Buddhology at Soka University for the Academic Year 1998

8402: 5757:, i.e. a compound XY meaning a type of Y which is related to X in a way corresponding to one of the grammatical cases of X. 4761:). Another early figure, Chaba Chokyi Senge (1109–1169) also argued that buddha-nature was a non-implicative negation. The 1832: 8651:

Noriaki, Hakamaya (1997). "Critical Philosophy Versus Topical Philosophy". In Hubbard, Jamie; Swanson, Paul Loren (eds.).

6063: 12575: 9381:. Tokyo: The International Research Institute for Advanced Buddhology, Soka University. pp. 143–168. Archived from 4615:, to the new Kamakura schools. One of the most important developments of buddha-nature thought in Japanese Buddhism was 3274:) was very influential in the development of Chinese Buddhism While the text is traditionally attributed to the Indian 2541:). This sutra states that there is no increase or decrease in the “realm (or domain, or element) of (sentient) beings” ( 12472: 12022: 10117: 8148: 7737: 3929: 3266: 887:, reshaping the worship of physical relics of the historical Buddha into worship of the inner Buddha as a principle of 686: 132: 89: 1362: 10318: 9444: 9150: 9099: 8821: 8787: 8160: 7950: 7614: 7540: 7351: 6713: 6226: 6195: 5948: 4478:, buddha-nature tends to be seen as the essential nature of all beings, while also emphasizing that buddha-nature is 4380: 3944: 3411:

school is one of the first native Chinese doctrinal schools, and the primary figure of this tradition is the scholar

3012: 12565: 9082: 7513: 2248:(which has various parallels) which states that the mind is luminous but "is defiled by incoming defilements." The 12250: 11995: 8993: 8552: 7242:

A Study on the Ratnagotravibhāga (Uttaratantra) Being a Treatise on the Tathāgatagarbha Theory of Mahāyāna Buddhism

5623:

Naked now, the master gazed at the moon. "Poor man," he sighed, "How I wish I could give him this glorious moon." (

5193:

Modern scholarship points to the various possible interpretations of buddha-nature as either an essential self, as

5089: 1681: 7692:

Swanson, Paul L, T'ien-t'ai Chih-i's Concept of Threefold Buddha Nature-A Synergy of Reality, Wisdom, and Practice

5919: 5607: 5046: 1141: 12642: 12632: 10461: 9977: 8736: 8095: 6833:

and Its Meditative Tradition as a Bridge between Sutra and Tantra, Snow Lion, Boston & London, 2014, page 66.

6820:

and Its Meditative Tradition as a Bridge between Sutra and Tantra, Snow Lion, Boston & London, 2014, page 57.

6045: 5631: 3488:. In the Huayan tradition, the ultimate principle is associated with buddha-nature, and with the One Mind of the 1825: 9217:

Approaching the Great Perfection: Simultaneous and Gradual Methods of Dzogchen Practice in the Longchen Nyingtig

8061: 6984: 6646:

Shiro, Matsumoto (1997). "The Lotus Sutra and Japanese Culture". In Hubbard, Jamie; Swanson, Paul Loren (eds.).

2533: 1245: 12587: 12240: 12042: 11933: 11878: 10451: 9972: 9871: 9705: 8719: 8413:

Scheidegger, Daniel (2007: p.27). 'Different Sets of Light-Channels in the Instruction Series of Rdzogs chen'.

7403: 7113:

and Its Meditative Tradition as a Bridge between Sutra and Tantra, Snow Lion, Boston & London, 2014, p. 66.

3934: 3900: 2979:

the storehouse consciousness "is nothing but emptiness that is taught through the term 'alaya-consciousness.'"

2142: 838:, and is eternal and unchanging. It will shine forth when it is cleansed of the defilements, that is, when the 8943: 2777: 2570: 12557: 12255: 11938: 10230: 10063: 9547:

The Buddha Within: Tathagatagarbha Doctrine According to the Shentong Interpretation of the Ratnagotravibhaga

9372:

Zimmermann, Michael (1999). "The Tathagatagarbhasutra: Its Basic Structure and Relation to the Lotus Sutra".

7890: 1959:), but as "embryonic essence", "kernel" or "heart". The term "heart" was also used by Mongolian translators. 615: 310: 28: 9284:

Shirō, Matsumoto (1997). "Tathagata-Garbha is not Buddhist". In Hubbard, Jamie; Swanson, Paul Loren (eds.).

5267:ō, 批判仏教), have been critical of buddha-nature thought. According to Matsumoto Shirõ and Hakamaya Noriaki of 3880: 3508:, the entire universe is a manifestation of the one nature, and it is also fully interfused with its source. 2647: 1270: 1057: 12140: 12012: 11983: 11685: 7008: 5892:

The monk returned to the Patriarch and reported what has happened. "The plum is ripe." said the Patriarch."

4514:

sutras as provisional and saw the awareness which is buddha-nature as the definitive teaching of Buddhism.

2297:. Even if his body cannot exhaust defilements in this life, In his next life he will attain supreme wisdom. 704: 560: 335: 295: 9513: 4697: 3845: 2656: 1376: 11831: 11740: 11210: 10855: 10368: 10263: 9823: 9808: 8994:"The Tathagatagarbha Theory Reconsidered. Reflections on Some Recent Issues in Japanese Buddhist Studies" 8282: 7175:

When the Clouds Part, The Uttaratantra and Its Meditative Tradition as a Bridge between Sutra and Tantra,

4635: 3731: 2717: 2361: 2265: 2212: 2000: 1355: 1302: 1191: 11375: 7794: 6909:

When the Clouds Part, The Uttaratantra and Its Meditative Tradition as a Bridge between Sutra and Tantra

4502:(780–841), who was also a patriarch of Huayan, interpreted buddha-nature as "empty tranquil awareness" ( 3924: 2634:'s seven main vajra topics. It explicitly points out that the nature of the minds of sentient beings is 2386:

states that the tathāgatagarbha is like the grain of rice contained inside of the husk of the rice plant

12680: 12160: 11636: 11122: 10245: 10078: 9691: 8985:

Introduction by Jeffrey Hopkins. In: His Holiness the Dalai Lama: Kalachakra Tantra. Rite of Initiation

7762: 7711: 7678:

CHIH-MIEN ADRIAN TSENG, A COMPARISON OF THE CONCEPTS OF BUDDHA-NATURE AND DAO-NATURE OF MEDIEVAL CHINA.

4454: 3134:

Around 300 CE, the Yogācāra school systematized the prevalent ideas on the nature of the Buddha in the

2980: 2783: 2404: 1963: 835: 747: 11570: 9923: 9408:. Tokyo: The International Research Institute for Advanced Buddhology, Soka University. Archived from 5578:

of the “inner” luminosity (nang gsal) of the ground which forms the innermost part or “heart“ (tsitta

5100:

The union of wisdom and emptiness is the essence of Buddha-hood or what is called Buddha-nature (Skt.

4548:

A famous reference to buddha-nature in the Chan tradition is found in the influential koan called the

4295: 3123:. The concept of the ālaya-vijñāna originally meant defiled consciousness: defiled by the workings of 1726: 12570: 12383: 12373: 12245: 11228: 10808: 10569: 10544: 9642: 9162: 6580: 3076:, and Asvabhava), if they refer to the term tathāgatagarbha at all, always explain it as nothing but 1491: 839: 435: 10594: 8527:

The Buddha from Dolpo: A Study of the Life and Thought of the Tibetan Master Dolpopa Sherab Gyaltsen

6898:, edited by Jonathan Silk, Oskar von Hinüber, and Vincent Eltschinger, 261–273. Leiden: Brill, 2015. 3015:

puts forward the Madhyamaka interpretation of the buddha-nature as emptiness in the following terms:

2699:

doctrine was also widely discussed by Indian Mahayana scholars in treatises or commentaries, called

2355:

details that the potential to become enlightened is universal among all people, even the historical

1042: 245: 12675: 12027: 11841: 11819: 11812: 11715: 11248: 10868: 10684: 10629: 10250: 10056: 9051:

Buddhism in China: A Historical Survey. In Antonio S. Cua (ed.): Encyclopedia of Chinese Philosophy

8295: 5926: 4762: 4408: 4057: 3654: 3617: 3356: 2817: 2173:, but is not an exact translation of this term. It refers to what is essential in the human being. 440: 390: 7994: 5856:, "the base of it all", the samsaric basis of consciousness, of all the samsaric appearances; and 5271:, essentialist conceptions of buddha-nature are at odds with the fundamental Buddhist doctrine of 4403: 3364: 3309:, the cycle of birth and death, defilement and ignorance). This text was in line with an essay by 1032: 12612: 12592: 11923: 11903: 11660: 11390: 10634: 7795:

The Manifestation of the Absolute in the Phenomenal World: Nature Origination in Huayan Exegesis.

5029: 4907: 4903: 4375: 4285: 4280: 1676: 600: 9409: 4619:

theory (本覚, innate or original enlightenment) which developed within the Tendai school from the

3195:

in the early fifth century and this text became the central source of buddha-nature doctrine in

3145:

The Yogācāra school also had a doctrine of "gotra" (lineage, family) which held that there were

927: 12731: 12622: 12462: 12130: 12100: 11873: 11824: 11665: 11613: 11608: 11370: 11191: 11088: 10840: 10835: 10584: 8318:

The Great Perfection (rDzogs chen): A Philosophical and Meditative Teaching of Tibetan Buddhism

6704:(2009). "Interpreting the Lotus Sutra". In Teiser, Stephen F.; Stone, Jacqueline Ilyse (eds.). 5754: 5342: 5251:. Later after taking up the Buddhist path, they would be introduced to the truth of emptiness. 4483: 4348: 4007: 3967: 3825: 3644: 3384: 679: 415: 400: 380: 305: 300: 215: 122: 10952: 7244:(Rome Oriental Series 33). Rome: Istituto Italiano per il Medio ed Estremo Oriente, pp. 45–52. 4842:

Yeshe De describes the sugatagarbha as twofold. It is the impure mind of sentient beings, the

4300: 3992: 3096: 2591:) – Describes buddha nature as luminous and pure, as eternal, everlasting, peaceful and self ( 1971: 1651: 1277: 12627: 12597: 12178: 12110: 11943: 11858: 11853: 11777: 11772: 11690: 10220: 9685: 7660:"Philosophical Aspects of Sixth-Century Chinese Buddhist Debates on “Mind and Consciousness”" 5272: 4977: 4895: 4813:

Morten Ostensen writes that the buddha-nature teaching (also known as "sugatagarbha", Wylie:

4749:

that buddha-nature is a non-implicative negation, which is to say that it is emptiness, as a

4447: 4022: 3232: 3146: 3127:. It was also seen as the mūla-vijñāna, the base-consciousness or "stream of consciousness" ( 3108: 2680: 2671: 2463:), though it also attempts to argue that this claim is not incompatible with the teaching of 2253: 2249: 1806: 1591: 1341: 1292: 915: 620: 610: 565: 11243: 4290: 2459:. The sutra also presents the buddha-nature or tathagatagarbha as a "Self" or a true self ( 2111:

also means "womb/matrix" and "seed/embryo," and "the innermost part of something." The term

1641: 12650: 12617: 12602: 12120: 12017: 11963: 11848: 11787: 11755: 11750: 11735: 11720: 11710: 11675: 11588: 11280: 11203: 10506: 10446: 10195: 10162: 10112: 9957: 9818: 9813: 9635: 9486: 9196: 5809: 5489: 5422:

meanings which are embraced in turn by other texts". He goes on to point out that the term

5320:

thought, accepted that Buddha nature theories are similar to Upanishadic theories and that

4866: 4817:

in Tibetan tantric sources), first entered Tibetan Buddhism through the translation of the

4554: 3774: 3387:. In formulating his view, Jizang was influenced by the earlier Chinese Madhyamaka thinker 2599: 2583: 2330:, but the idea of "a universal penetration of sentient beings by the wisdom of the Buddha ( 1811: 1801: 1796: 1453: 1067: 630: 590: 585: 550: 395: 275: 183: 168: 112: 84: 12490: 11105: 10974: 10900: 10776: 10514: 9893: 9803: 5624: 5504: 3997: 3083:

Some later Yogacara scholars spoke of the tathāgatagarbha in more positive terms, such as

2739: 2704: 2630: 948: 8: 12751: 12457: 12336: 12170: 12145: 12135: 12095: 12072: 11955: 11928: 11888: 11807: 11797: 11725: 11652: 11083: 10940: 10721: 10699: 10651: 10471: 10271: 10127: 10107: 9967: 8514:

Mountain Doctrine: Tibet's Fundamental Treatise on Other-Emptiness and the Buddha-Matrix.

8501:

Mountain Doctrine: Tibet's Fundamental Treatise on Other-Emptiness and the Buddha-Matrix.

7938: 5728:-center, not the domain of beings who adhere to wayward views. Is the intrinsically pure 5377:, who "emphasizes the underlying ontological ground on which all phenomenal appearances ( 5268: 4365: 4012: 3310: 3220: 3186: 2911:

and attributed to Saramati (the same author which the Chinese tradition states wrote the

2448: 2390: 2060:

may also mean the interior or center of something, and its essence or central part. As a

1771: 1261: 1252: 1037: 935: 899: 811: 700: 640: 595: 533: 473: 410: 355: 350: 105: 94: 10431: 10358: 9952: 9888: 8075: 5550: 5334: 5182: 4883:

school view of buddha-nature is generally marked by the tendency to align the idea with

3033: 2420:) within themselves, but do not recognize it because it is covered over by afflictions. 2285: 2184:, and the cause of the Buddha. The link between the cause and the result is the nature ( 1186: 1077: 12520: 12425: 12267: 12230: 12225: 12155: 12105: 12052: 12047: 11918: 11913: 11908: 11898: 11883: 11868: 11863: 11802: 11782: 11745: 11670: 11475: 11176: 11100: 10978: 10920: 10761: 10661: 10589: 10564: 10210: 10140: 9833: 9478: 9265: 9108:

Bielefeldt, Carl (2015), "A Discussion of Seated Zen", in Lopez, Jr., Donald S. (ed.),

9058: 8833:

Wayman, Alex (1981). The Title and Textual Affiliation of the Guhya-garbha Tantra. In:

7960: 7664:

A Distant Mirror Articulating Indic Ideas in Sixth and Seventh Century Chinese Buddhism

7445: 5831:), but it is defiled by defilements which arrive". AN 1.49–52 gives a similar statement 5719:

takes on various meanings, depending on its context. They translate a passage from the

4994: 4823: 4643: 4433: 4370: 3794: 3330: 3204: 2256:) which serves as the basic layer of the mind and which is held to have a self-nature ( 2239: 1791: 1756: 1418: 1348: 831: 625: 605: 545: 540: 428: 330: 323: 250: 240: 147: 47: 12319: 5509: 5304:)." Matsumoto further argues that: "Tathagatagarbha thought was a Buddhist version of 5170:), "other-empty", an essential nature which is "pure radiant non-dual consciousness". 3383:," "wisdom, '' "ultimate reality," "middle way" and also the wisdom that contemplates 2983:

states that this statement is referencing the tathāgatagarbha doctrine. Candrakirti's

2398:

uses the image of a Buddha within a lotus flower as a metaphor for the tathāgatagarbha

34: 24: 12756: 12746: 12741: 12698: 12660: 12356: 12341: 12304: 12289: 12062: 11978: 11893: 11730: 11695: 11680: 11407: 11397: 11078: 10925: 10910: 10781: 10704: 10624: 10559: 10491: 10378: 10135: 10016: 9616: 9535: 9440: 9269: 9166: 9146: 9095: 9035: 8951: 8905: 8887: 8817: 8783: 8715: 8394: 8321: 8156: 8101: 8053: 7946: 7733: 7610: 7536: 7399: 7347: 6709: 6697: 6222: 6191: 5858: 5426:

has up to six possible connotations. Of these, he says the three most important are:

5260: 5038: 4942: 4933: 4911: 4851: 4778: 4766: 4744: 4740: 4710: 4685: 4639: 4600: 4175: 4131: 4052: 3895: 3875: 3432:

Thus, for Zhiyi, buddha-nature has three aspects which he bases on passages from the

3162: 2289:(though here it is used in a different way than in later texts). The passage states: 2160: 1781: 1766: 1761: 1744: 1423: 1334: 1284: 964: 823: 727: 672: 570: 555: 360: 235: 178: 142: 127: 58: 11642: 10436: 10336: 9918: 9783: 8391:

Mipham's Beacon of Certainty: Illuminating the View of Dzochen, the Great Perfection

8027: 4327: 4221: 3692: 2651:(compiled 350–400 CE) synthesized the tathāgatagarbha doctrine and teachings of the 1161: 12346: 12299: 12294: 12150: 12115: 12090: 12085: 11836: 11792: 11705: 11380: 11036: 11029: 10813: 10803: 10689: 10353: 10225: 9470: 9257: 8022: 7802: 7437: 6701: 5742: 5394: 5232:

According to Heng-Ching Shih, buddha-nature does not represent a substantial self (

5215:

Buddhist scholar and chronicler, Merv Fowler, writes that "the main message of the

5093: 4716: 4658: 4612: 4423: 4156: 3335: 3236: 3196: 2460: 2318: 2244: 1776: 1749: 1616: 1433: 1413: 1237: 1201: 943: 856: 815: 712: 635: 580: 510: 500: 365: 46:

of Buddha-nature, which is always shining but can be hidden or covered over by the

11425: 9607:"Nirvana Sutra": full text of "Nirvana Sutra", plus appreciation of its teachings. 8011:"Medieval Tendai hongaku thought and the new Kamakura Buddhism: A reconsideration" 5155: 3492:

This ultimate nature is seen as the ontological source and ground of all phenomena

3464:, to argue for the idea that insentient rocks and plants also have buddha-nature. 3275: 3084: 2800:

Thusness defiled is the Tathagatagarbha, and Thusness undefiled is Enlightenment.

1481: 12710: 12655: 12607: 12535: 12405: 12203: 12183: 12125: 12037: 11700: 11598: 11445: 11181: 11164: 11149: 11127: 10679: 10549: 10383: 10363: 9881: 9382: 8152: 7592: 7585: 7520: 5305: 5209: 5174: 5137: 5078: 4620: 4585: 4492: 4317: 4062: 3987: 3769: 3530: 2994: 2882:, stating that "the luminous nature of the mind Is unchanging, just like space." 2408:(200–250 CE) is the earliest buddha-nature text. Zimmerman argues that "the term 1721: 1656: 1496: 1214: 1196: 1181: 1072: 1052: 807: 660: 575: 375: 285: 230: 11455: 10609: 10599: 9742: 9717: 9182:"Review Article: The Mahaparinirvana Sutra and the Origins of Mahayana Buddhism" 7057: 5925:

The references used may be made clearer with a different or consistent style of

5085:

and Dolpopa but at times blends their positions with the Third Karmapa's view).

4987: 4982:. The Sakya scholar Rongtön (1367–1449) meanwhile, argued that buddha-nature is 4479: 3741: 3460:

would expand the Tiantai view of buddha-nature, which he saw as synonymous with

3297:

the "one mind" has two aspects, namely "the aspect of enlightenment," (which is

3216: 3139: 3006: 2952: 1516: 903: 225: 12665: 12368: 12218: 12000: 11580: 11560: 11480: 11169: 11159: 11093: 10930: 10416: 10279: 10002: 9987: 9762: 9747: 8835:

From Mahayana Buddhism to Tantra – Felicitation Volume for Dr Shunkyo Matsumata

6606:

Buddhist Sects of the Small Vehicle (Les Sectes Bouddhiques du Petit Véhicule),

5930: 5863: 5642: 5599: 5374: 4871: 4783: 4511: 4499: 4385: 4322: 4180: 4146: 4101: 3939: 3863: 3830: 3726: 3189:. The buddha-nature idea was introduced into China with the translation of the 2180:. It has two meanings, namely the nature of the Buddha, equivalent to the term 1786: 1701: 1458: 1222: 1121: 1022: 876: 520: 450: 405: 263: 7659: 6064:"Why They Say Zen is Not Buddhism: Recent Japanese Critiques of Buddha-Nature" 5300:) or basis is the cause that produces the manifold phenomena or "super-loci" ( 4666: 3305: 3303:, suchness, the true nature of things), and "the aspect of nonenlightenment" ( 2938:, which according to Takasaki "is clearly a composition based upon the Ratna." 2550: 12725: 12435: 12284: 11593: 11495: 11353: 11154: 11132: 11068: 10739: 10534: 10421: 10090: 9962: 9847: 9828: 9752: 9532:

Luminous Heart: The Third Karmapa on Consciousness, Wisdom, and Buddha Nature

9496:

Buddhist Philosophy, Chinese. In: Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Index

9119:

Buddhist Philosophy, Chinese. In: Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Index

8281:

Ostensen, Morten (2019). Introduction to Dzogchen and Buddha-Nature. Source:

7595:. In E. Craig (Ed.), Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy. London: Routledge. 5117: 5013: 4960: 4949: 4679: 4549: 4475: 4161: 4151: 4136: 4126: 4121: 4096: 4032: 4002: 3977: 3835: 3764: 3585: 3338:

to explain the tathāgatagarbha (also called "the dharma of the one mind" and

3314: 3043: 3002: 2879: 2635: 2517: 2231: 2062: 1979: 1975: 1686: 1671: 1611: 1443: 1403: 1146: 1087: 1027: 819: 345: 340: 280: 43: 10893: 10883: 10255: 8143: 7806: 5882:

Fach'ang said, "Ma-tsu told me that mind is Buddha; so I came to live here."

3850: 2860: 2809: 2808:, the tathāgatagarbha is seen as having three specific characteristics: (1) 2364:

and thus several scholars theorize that it was an influence on these texts.

2181: 485: 290: 12525: 12510: 12480: 12430: 12420: 12262: 12057: 11550: 11385: 11263: 11051: 11046: 10873: 10744: 10619: 10080: 9930: 8700:

Shiro Matsumoto, Critiques of Tathagatagarbha Thought and Critical Buddhism

8046:

Original enlightenment and the transformation of medieval Japanese Buddhism

6846:, pp. 101–102. (Hamburg Buddhist Studies Vol. 5), Hamburg University Press. 6188:

Complete Enlightenment: Zen Comments on the Sutra of Complete Enlightenment

5529: 5390: 5178: 5096:

sees the Buddha-nature as the indivisible oneness of wisdom and emptiness:

4983: 4972: 4662: 4569: 4538: 4526: 4312: 4236: 4141: 4047: 3593: 3541: 3496:

This is a key idea in Huayan thought which is called "nature-origination" (

3461: 3372: 3299: 3101: 3092: 3077: 2972: 1711: 1696: 1536: 385: 270: 188: 74: 11308: 11293: 11253: 10950: 10614: 10190: 9261: 8875:

Sun-Face Buddha. The Teachings of Ma-tsu and the Hung-chou School of Ch'an

8294:

Mandelbaum, Arthur (2007). Nanam Yeshe De, The Treasury of Lives. Source:

6046:

The Significance Of 'Tathagatagarbha' – A Positive Expression Of 'Sunyata'

5747: 5050: 2956: 2827:, all sentient beings have "the embryo of the Tathagata" in three senses: 1881: 1526: 1322: 1290: 1258: 1235: 12495: 12324: 11465: 11450: 11233: 11041: 10969: 10749: 10579: 10481: 10328: 10200: 9732: 9698: 9658: 9439:

Sallie, B. King: Buddha Nature, State University of New York Press 1991,

9295:

The Buddhist handbook. A Complete Guide to Buddhist Teaching and Practice

9071:"The Doctrine of the Buddha-Nature in the Mahāyāna Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra" 8093: 8010: 6844:

The Mahāparinivāṇa-mahasūtra and the Emergence of Tathagatagarba Doctrine

5706:

Kevin Trainor: "a sacred nature that is the basis for becoming buddhas."

5514: 5130: 4968: 4833: 4728: 4091: 4027: 4017: 3982: 3890: 3820: 3709: 3601: 3433: 3420: 3376: 3167: 2616: 2343: 2223: 2136: 2088:, meaning "containing a tathagata", but notes the variety of meanings of 1983: 1571: 1546: 1531: 1228: 1171: 1114: 997: 872: 455: 12485: 10945: 9005: 8560: 5877:

The Patriarch replied, "Mind is Buddha." Fa-ch'ang had great awakening.

5259:

Several contemporary Japanese Buddhist scholars, headed under the label

5162:, "self-empty", or Prasaṅgika point of view, the Rimé movement supports 4757:) that does not imply that anything is left un-negated (in terms of its 4678:

Buddha-nature was likewise influential for the other sects of Zen, like

3476:. The Huayan tradition heavily relied on buddha nature sources like the 2230:

is grounded on sayings by the Buddha that there is something called the

1126: 12440: 12398: 12274: 12080: 12005: 11619: 11603: 11565: 11545: 11440: 11415: 11323: 11258: 11238: 10984: 10915: 10786: 10669: 10639: 10574: 10524: 10182: 10172: 10145: 9862: 9840: 9482: 9365:

Mahayanism: A Critical Exposition of the Mahayana Mahaparinirvana Sutra

7449: 7080:

O'Neill, Alexander James; Dharmacakṣus, Āloka; Patton, Charles (2023).

6786: 5292:

which he rejects as un-buddhist is: "It is the theory that the single (

5000:

According to Brunnholzl, in the works of the influential Sakya scholar

4899: 4891: 4624: 4488: 4268: 4116: 3972: 3815: 3779: 3714: 3687: 3261:

one of the most influential buddha-nature works in East Asian Buddhism.

3223:. This idea was often interpreted as being similar to the ideas of the 3128: 3120: 3073: 3069: 3024: 2948: 2930: 2926: 2908: 2575: 2554: 2121: 1896:

means "the one thus gone", referring to the Buddha. It is composed of "

1691: 1601: 1586: 1511: 1506: 1383: 1131: 1110: 1007: 1002: 911: 751: 460: 220: 117: 11460: 10456: 9992: 8320:. Second Edition. Volume II. Boston: Brill's Tibetan Studies Library. 8283:

https://archive.org/details/introduction-to-dzogchen-and-buddha-nature

8111: 6896:

Brill's Encyclopedia of Buddhism, Volume One: Literature and Languages

5028:

school, whose foremost historical figure was the Tibetan scholar-monk

3697: 3416: 3380: 2836: 2513: 1521: 1062: 806:

Buddha-nature has a wide range of (sometimes conflicting) meanings in

12415: 12388: 11555: 11430: 11142: 11058: 10935: 10825: 10798: 10791: 10754: 10711: 10674: 10441: 10406: 10373: 10348: 10303: 9947: 9942: 9867: 9852: 9798: 7666:. Hamburg Buddhist Studies, 3 Hamburg: Hamburg University Press 2014. 5841: 5499: 5444: 5082: 4928: 4719:

scholastics, there are two main camps of interpreting buddha-nature:

4592: 4588: 4565: 4337: 4332: 4253: 4204: 4037: 3682: 3609: 3061: 3028: 2816:, and (3) disposition, as well as the general characteristic (4) non- 2676: 2659:(storehouse consciousness) and the "three natures". According to the 2652: 2356: 2196: 2072: 1716: 1476: 1428: 1166: 1156: 1151: 1136: 1082: 791: 505: 480: 39: 12188: 11024: 10878: 10644: 10426: 10295: 10287: 9982: 9937: 9908: 9474: 9092:

The Story of Buddhism: a concise guide to its history & teaching

8674: 7984:. Translated by Tom Graham. New York: Weatherhill. pp. 152–153. 7763:

https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2019/entries/buddhism-huayan/

7441: 7082:

The Great Collection Sūtra: A Translation of the Mahāsaṃnipāta Sūtra

3840: 3659: 2464: 2252:

school coupled this idea with the idea of the "root consciousness" (

2042:

Wayman & Hideko also point out that the Chinese regularly takes

1646: 1576: 12705: 12545: 12500: 12445: 12410: 12314: 11973: 11540: 11535: 11485: 11420: 11338: 11303: 11298: 10959: 10830: 10818: 10729: 10388: 10085: 10035: 9912: 9902: 9793: 6608:

Translated from the French by Gelongma Migme Chodron (2005), p. 56.

5845: 5641:, pp. 61–65), in the famous story of the verse-contest in the 5561:

This triune is indivisible and iconographically represented by the

5313: 5309: 5244: 4938: 4884: 4862: 4829: 4795: 4689: 4342: 3736: 3669: 3513: 3388: 2885: 2813: 2612: 1636: 1561: 1486: 1438: 1388: 1176: 972: 923: 758: 755: 737: 515: 495: 490: 370: 66: 11530: 11520: 11505: 11328: 11198: 10466: 9997: 8853:

The Buddha Nature. A Study of the Tathagatagarbha and Alayavijnana

7894: 7605:

Hsieh, Ding-Hwa (2004). "Awakening Of Faith (Dasheng Qixin Lun)".

5888:

The monk said, "Nowadays he also says, 'Neither mind nor Buddha."'

4769:

by holding that Buddha- nature was a nonimplicative negation. The

4241: 4226: 4042: 3104:, ‘shining forth’), which is the capacity to appear (pratibhāsa). 2293:

If someone devotes himself to the Ekottarikagama, Then he has the

1666: 1631: 1621: 1581: 803:

can mean "buddha-element", "buddha-realm", or "buddha-substrate".

20: 12450: 12393: 12378: 11525: 11515: 11490: 11365: 11360: 11318: 11288: 11220: 11186: 11073: 11014: 11009: 10863: 10766: 10604: 10554: 10341: 10167: 10023: 9787: 9159:

The Lotus Sutra: A Contemporary Translation of a Buddhist Classic

8866:

and Its Meditative Tradition as a Bridge between Sutra and Tantra

7609:. Vol. 1. New York: MacMillan Reference USA. pp. 38–9. 5562: 5494: 5460: 5312:

gradually introduced into Buddhism, especially after the rise of

5248: 5194: 5001: 4924: 4880: 4818: 4651: 4647: 4616: 4530: 4518: 4418: 4111: 4106: 3810: 3789: 3784: 3639: 3457: 3408: 3339: 3208: 3135: 3124: 2760: 2730: 2700: 2347:, written between 100 BCE and 200 CE, also does not use the term 1626: 1556: 1551: 1448: 1393: 1092: 1047: 195: 11137: 10905: 9623:"The Textual Transmission of the Mahayana Mahaparinirvana-sutra" 8296:

https://treasuryoflives.org/biographies/view/Yeshe-De/TBRC_p8205

7824: 3565: 3151: 12530: 12515: 12351: 12213: 12193: 11968: 11630: 11510: 11500: 11435: 11063: 11019: 11004: 10994: 10964: 10888: 10771: 10539: 10411: 10155: 10150: 10029: 9898: 9606: 8072:

The Collected Works of Shinran, 1997, Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha

7568: 7566: 5524: 5403: 5276: 5025: 4861:

The teaching of buddha-nature is also a key source for Tibetan

4787: 4608: 4537:, is transformed into the "bright mirror wisdom". According to 4522: 4506:), which he took from the Ho-tse school of Chan. Following the 4428: 4413: 4263: 4231: 4199: 3799: 3664: 3505: 3473: 3368: 3203:, it was initially understood through comparing it with native 3150:

practice (行佛性). The latter nature was determined by the innate

3065: 2675:

is another sutra which synthesizes Yogācāra doctrines like the

2152: 1661: 1596: 1566: 1501: 1398: 931: 888: 818:

literature. Broadly speaking, it refers to the belief that the

655: 210: 205: 200: 163: 9627: 8756:

Lusthaus, Dan, Critical Buddhism and Returning to the Sources.

8613:. State University of New York Press: p. 104, p. 353 6878: 6876: 2378: 2238:), "which is only adventitiously covered over by defilements ( 12670: 12505: 12363: 12329: 12309: 12279: 12208: 11625: 11470: 11348: 11343: 11313: 11268: 11115: 11110: 10989: 10694: 10519: 10486: 10476: 9757: 8967:

An introduction to Buddhism. Teachings, history and practices

8586:

Which states that all existences are empty of a "self-nature"

7732:. Indianapolis, Indiana: Hackett Publishing. pp. 80–87. 7730:

Readings in Later Chinese Philosophy: Han to the 20th century

6746: 6734: 6157: 6155: 6153: 6151: 5823: 5732:-center, not the domain of beings who deviate from voidness". 5650: 5603: 5519: 5324:

is an accurate expression of the structure of these doctrines

5073: 4964: 4791: 4770: 4510:, he interpreted the theory of emptiness as presented in the 4258: 4216: 4194: 3759: 3412: 3200: 2722: 1706: 1606: 1541: 1017: 843: 445: 9075:

Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies

8553:"Buddha Nature and Buddhahood: the Mahayana and Tantra Yana" 8471: 8469: 8467: 8465: 8463: 8450: 8448: 8426:

Sherab, Khenchen Palden and Dongyal, Khenpo Tsewang (2006).

8258: 8219: 8209: 8207: 8205: 8203: 7563: 7510:

Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies

6393: 6391: 6389: 3504:

According to this doctrine defended by Huayan thinkers like

2683:(storehouse consciousness) with the tathāgatagarbha teaching 2436:

Another important and early source for buddha-nature is the

12540: 11333: 10999: 10496: 8236: 8234: 7281: 7271: 7269: 7256: 7254: 7252: 7250: 7224: 7222: 6873: 6506: 6504: 6502: 6363: 6361: 6359: 6357: 6219:

Mipam on Buddha-Nature: The Ground of the Nyingma Tradition

6123: 6121: 6119: 6117: 6115: 5474:), which provides beings with the possibility of awakening. 4634:

Hongaku thought was also influential on the development of

3805: 2611:

this sutra also teaches the eternity of Buddhas (and their

7757:

Van Norden, Bryan and Nicholaos Jones, "Huayan Buddhism",

7508:

Nattier, Jan. The Heart Sūtra: A Chinese Apocryphal Text?

6668: 6666: 6616: 6614: 6521: 6519: 6148: 5808:" in other languages (Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese), see 5598:

The image of the moon as the Buddha-nature comes from the

5333:" does not necessarily mean substratum (he points to some 3235:

in Chinese philosophy and developed into what was called "

2412:

itself seems to have been coined in this very sutra." The

2367: 12198: 10734: 8532: 8529:, State University of New York Press, Albany, 1999, p. 87 8481: 8460: 8445: 8433: 8353: 8341: 8200: 8188: 6386: 6017:"Mahāparinirvāṇasūtra (Buddha-nature, Tsadra Foundation)" 5979: 5977: 5614:("On the Moon as One's Excellent Nature"). Compare also: 5381:) are based, which he variously refers to as the nature ( 4650:, equated buddha-nature with the central Shin concept of 4603:

traditions all take the idea of buddha-nature (Japanese:

3580: 3555: 3224: 2831:

the Tathāgata's dharmakāya permeates all sentient beings;

2416:

states that all beings already have perfect Buddha body (

2242:)." The luminous mind is mentioned in a passage from the 1970:

as used by Indian Buddhist scholars generally: (1) As an

1408: 9579:

Pruning the Bodhi Tree: The Storm over Critical Buddhism

9286: