What is Buddha Nature?

Buddhadhatu (Tathagatagarbha - Buddha-svabhava) is one of the most important and inspirational foundations in Mahayana Buddhism. Lotus  is the most prominent symbol to talk about Buddha Nature: Lotus (Buddha Nature) broke the mud underneath (impurity impurities) to crown to pick up the sun.

The quickest definition of buddhahood is: Mindfulness in the beings will eradicate all afflictions to achieve enlightenment. In other words, all beings have the potential to become Buddhas.

"The essence of the Buddha consists entirely of ... The Buddha's presence is like the sun is present in the sky." Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche

The sun may be obscured by clouds, but it is always there. Our Buddha nature is obscured by attachments and afflictions, but it is always there. It is not something we have (as a soul) but something we have.

"The Buddha-nature is often described as the sun behind the clouds. The sun is always there, even if you can not see it. But when the visual clogging disappeared, the sun was clearly identified. All beings are Buddhas, but are obscured by impurities and afflictions caused by misconceptions. When these impurities are removed, there is Buddhahood. "- Karmapa Rangjun Dorje.

All sentient beings have Buddha-nature, because they are obscured by craving and ignorance, but in the end, with compassion, practice,  meditation  and renunciation, we can "rise from the dirt" as pure lotus from the mud.

Pure lotus flower emerges from the mud. Similarly, our buddha nature will overcome obstacles caused by attachments, ego and negative karma.

Source

The concept of buddha nature  can be traced back to what  the Buddha Shakyamuni  said, and it is recorded in the Pali Sutta (Pabhassara Sutta, Anguttara Nikaya 1.49-52):

"Luminous, monk, that is the mind, and it is polluted by the afflictions. Normal people will not be able to see clearly as it really is, which is why I tell you that - ordinary people - there is no development of the mind.

"Bhikkhu, it is the mind, and it is free from afflictions. The disciples taught by the noble teachers will realize that it is really there, that is why I tell you - the disciples are taught by the noble ones - there is the development of mind. "[Thanissaro Bhikkhu translation]. Luminous means bright, clear, glowing in the dark.

This passage has led to many theories and interpretations in early Buddhism. The monks and scholars also have to grapple with questions about  the theory of selflessness (anatta), and how a person with no ego to be  reborn , affected by business, or become a the Buddha. This consciousness is present in every being, whether or not it is perceived.

Theravada Buddhism does not place faith in the Buddha-nature . However, other schools of Buddhism began to depict Buddha-nature as a subtle consciousness that is present in all sentient beings, or as a potential for enlightenment to spread.

In Mahayana Buddhism

In the 5th century, a text called Nirvana Sutra (Mahayana Mahaparinirvana Sutra) was translated from Sanskrit to Chinese. Nirvana is one of the three Mahayana scriptures that make up a collection called the Tathagatagarbha ("The Tathagatagarbha Embodiment").

Today some scholars believe that these texts have been developed from the earlier Mahasanghika texts. Mahasanghika was the first school of Buddhism that appeared in the 4th century BC and was the predecessor of Mahayana Buddhism.

The texts in the Tathagatagarbha are recorded as full interpretations of Buddha nature. Nirvana has a great influence on the development of Buddhism in China. Buddha nature is an essential teaching in some schools of Mahayana  Buddhism  .

Some texts in the Tathagatagarbha have also been translated into Tibetan language, probably by the end of the 8th century AD. Buddha nature is also an important  teaching in Tibetan Buddhism , although some schools do not fully agree on it. The Sakya and Nyingma schools emphasize that the Buddha-nature is the essential nature of the mind, while the Gelugpa considers it a potential in the mind.

In Theravada Buddhism

Theravada Buddhism  does not explicitly say that there is a Buddha nature. And sometimes, the  Buddha-nature still faces opposition  from some people in this school because they rely on selflessness and assert that there can be no "eternal self" in a fish. can be in the cycle of reincarnation.

However, like most Mahayana concepts such as  Śūnyatā  or Bodhisattva, the general concept appears in the Pali Canon.

Many times the Buddha declared that there is no condition - without unconditional, there would be no benefit or life result for the enlightened. But because they are unconditioned, they live a purposeful holy life.

What is "unconditional" here? Is the state beyond the cycle of samsara, no longer affected by  impermanence  and suffering?

Mahayana has specified it with a name - Buddha Nature. Meanwhile, Theravada only uses an adjective to describe the state of enlightenment - unconditional.

Buddha Nature is a self?

Sometimes the Buddha Nature is described as a "true self" and everyone has Buddha Nature. This can make people imagine that the Buddha nature is something like a soul, or some property we possess, such as intelligence or a bad temper. This is not an accurate view.

The dichotomy between " self and Buddha nature " seems to be an important point in the well-known dialogue between Chao-chou Ts'ung-shen 778-897 and a monk who asked: "A dog with Buddha nature?". The answer of the teacher is No! (no, or no) has been regarded as a koan for meditators.

Some people say that any creature has the Buddha nature, but because of past lives they do not realize that they have to do the birth of the animal, and the Buddha nature still persists with them for countless lives until consciousness. clear, enlightened.

The Perspective of Eihei Dogen (1200-1253): Buddha nature is not something we have, but that is what we are. And something that is an activity or process that involves all sentient beings. Dogen also emphasizes that practice is not the thing that will help us to enlighten, but instead the activity of our enlightened nature, or the Buddha nature.

Let us return to the original idea of ​​a clear mind present, whether we are aware or not. Tibetan teacher Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche described Buddha Nature in this way:

"... Our basic essence of intellect is a lucid extension of perception beyond imagination and without the motion of thought, of incomparable properties. From the very essence of this emptiness, everything is shown, appearing as they really are. "

Because the living beings cling to the false idea of ​​an ego separated from everything else, they do not have the experience as Buddhas. But when the nature of existence is clarified, they realize that the Buddha-nature is always there. Each of us has the Buddha nature, and this nature is the same for each of us. So it is different from the idea of ​​a self.

In the Lotus Sutra, the heart of the Mahayana, tells us that the Buddha and all Arahats still exist at another level, and we will meet them when we are enlightened. Therefore, our enlightened nature is eternal, even if it is not explicitly stated as an Atman (unchanging personal tinge in Hinduism).

If not the Self, So What is Buddha Nature?

Buddha nature is a noble concept, understood by the enlightened ones, but in a certain way, it is always present in the minds of the unenlightened. In Uttaratantra, it says:

"It's subtle, so it's not a learning object.

It is the last, so it is not the object of contemplation.

Dhamma is very deep, so it is not a meditator ... "

Recognize it there, as received the teachings of the Buddha. But to understand exactly it is difficult. It can be discussed or taught, but it is the "ultimate" wisdom, far beyond our present ability to be fully grasped.

At that level, it requires faith. But, for those who accept  the teachings of the Buddha , that is not faith, but the acceptance of truth, even if we do not understand it. Although we can not fully understand it, it is important for us to know that we have Buddha Nature.

Two Types of Nature: Nature and Development

"The Buddha-nature is something that is innate in us, and the development of buddhahood means that we must develop what is to be developed. In other words, our consciousness is developing buddhahood.

"Our consciousness is perceiving and labeling objects, looking at things like subjects and objects, the relationship between subject and object. The objects of consciousness are interdependent, dependent, and without inherent existence. Thus, the true nature of consciousness is empty. The final nature of the mind is empty, and it is said in  the  Heart Sutra: "Similarly, consciousness is empty, and emptiness is consciousness." Consciousness is emptiness. Thus, the Buddha nature is the emptiness of the mind. "

The Dalai Lama: "Even Insects Have Buddha Nature."

"From the Buddha's perspective, man is trained, through practice - what we call the highest mental state of enlightenment. Thus, through practice, the person, through a kind of purifying the mental state of a person, can eventually become an enlightened being. Even the Buddha himself, in order to obtain the last enlightenment, also has to go through difficult practices ... "

"All biological receptors, even insects, have the Buddha Nature. The seed of the Buddha means consciousness, the cognitive power - the seed of enlightenment. That is the Buddha's view. All sabotage can be removed from the mind, so there is no reason to believe that some sentient beings can not become Buddhas. Because every creature has that seed. "

At the same time, the Dalai Lama warned that a liberating experience can only grow on its own. No one can do it for you.

"The Buddha said that you are your own master. In the future, everything depends on you. The duty of the Buddha is to help you see the path, that is all. "

Conclude

Stone has no potential for producing oil, even if you hit it, grind it, even if you use modern tools and machinery, you never get oil from stone. On the other hand, sesame seeds are capable of producing oils, and by treating them properly, sesame oils will be produced. Therefore, the Buddha-nature is the potential to exist as our basic essence so that we can become a Buddha.

In this sense, only human beings have the potential for enlightenment to become a Buddha, not all sentient beings! No matter how intelligent an ant, the training process can not be perceived as a human being.

For me,  Buddha nature is just a metaphor for the potential  of human enlightenment , not something that exists in all sentient beings. Buddha nature,  Nirvana  or enlightenment are all very difficult to explain, because we can not deeply interpret what we have not experienced, not verified. Searching for something that we do not even know what it is is not possible. So, to live happily in this life is to determine  the cause of suffering  and to handle it, that is what is important.END=NAM MO SAKYAMUNI BUDDHA.( 3 TIMES ).VIETNAMESE TRANSLATE ENGLISH BY=THICH CHAN TANH.VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=GOLDEN AMITABHA MONASTERY=AUSTRALIA,SYDNEY.11/11/2018.