- ACKNOWLEDGMENTSXI
- ABBREVIATIONSVIII
- CONVENTIONSXVII
- 1 Introduction1
- 1.1 Self and Not-Self in Early Buddhism1
- 1.2 Tathāgatagarbha Literature in Overview11
- 1.3 Essences, Natures, Wombs, and Chambers14
- 1.4 Buddhist Ātmavāda: Preliminary Thoughts21
Part I: Buddha-Nature, the Self
- 2 The Mahāparinirvāṇamahāsūtra and the Buddhist Self29
- 2.1 The Text29
- 2.2 The Buddha as Self33
- 2.3 Buddha-nature and the Self40
- 2.4 Contentions and Clarifications47
- 2.5 The True Self and False Notions of It55
- 2.6 Self and Absence of Self59
- 2.7 Buddha-nature in Dharmakṣema's MPNMSD+ 62
- 2.8 Conclusions67
- 3 The Aṅgulimālīyasūtra and the Essential Self70
- 3.1 The Text70
- 3.2 An "Essence" of One's Own74
- 3.3 What Buddha-nature Is Not: More False Notions of the Self77
- 3.4 Perceiving Buddha-nature79
- 3.5 Essence, Action, and the Self83
- 3.6 A "Single Essence"87
- 3. 7 Buddhism contra Other Systems91
- 3.8 Conclusions95
- 4 The Mahābherīhārakasūtra and Liberation of the Self97
- 4.1 The Text97
- 4.2 Continuity of the Self100
- 4.3 The Sovereign Self104
- 4.4 Buddha-nature and Buddhist Practice107
- 4.5 Self, Not-Self, and Emptiness109
- 4.6 Conclusions114
Part II: Buddha-nature, Not Self
- 5 The Śrīmālādevīsiṃhanādasūtra and the Perfection of Self119
- 5.1 The Text119
- 5.2 Reimagining Tathāgatagarbha122
- 5.3 The Dharmakāya and Its Qualities129
- 5.4 On "Singularity"132
- 5.5 Conclusions136
- 6 Other Tathāgatagarbha Sources139
- 6.1 The Anūnatvāpūrṇatvānirdeśaparivarta139
- 6.2 The Tathāgatagarbhasūtra143
- 6.3 The Mahāyānasūtrālaṃkāra148
- 7 The Ratnagotravibhāga and the Self That Is No Self154
- 7.1 The Text154
- 7.2 Buddha-nature and the "Basic" RGV158
- 7.3 "Perfection of Self' in the RGVV167
- 7.4 Tathāgatagarbha as, Once Again, the Self175
- 7.5 Conclusions178
- 8 The Laṅkāvatārasūtra and Rejecting the Buddhist Self181
- 8.1 The Text181
- 8.2 Tathāgatagarbha and Absence of Self183
- 8.3 The "Ālayavijñāna-Tathāgatagarbha"188
- 8.4 Selfhood in the Sagāthaka191
- 8.5 Conclusions194
- 8.6 Postscript: After the LAS195
Part III: Buddha-nature Reconsidered
- 9 Recurring Themes and Motifs203
- 9.1 The Single Vehicle203
- 9.2 "Cryptic" Utterances210
- 9.3 The Intrinsically Pure Mind214
- 9.4 "Sarvalokapriyadarśana"217
- 9.5 Emptiness and Nonemptiness218
- 9.6 Non-Buddhists and Their Teachings223
- 10 Evolution of the Buddhist Self229
- 10.1 The Course of Buddha-nature Teaching229
- 10.2 Origins of the Buddha-nature Idea237
- 10.3 Liberation and the Self245
- 10.4 Buddhist Selfhood and the Mahāyāna253
- 10.5 Closing Thoughts261
- REFERENCES265
- INDEX287