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Revision as of 21:25, 29 August 2022
Explore
Explore the subjects
The Questions
Why is buddha-nature important? What would it mean to not have buddha-nature? Is buddha-nature the soul? These and other common questions about buddha-nature are outlined below, with links to readings, videos, and other material to help you explore further. New to Buddhist ideas? Click on Discover below.
The Ideas
Is buddha-nature already perfected and simply obscured by delusion, or is it a seed or potential that must be cultivated and perfected? Is buddha-nature a definitive or provisional teaching? Is it the mind's natural luminosity, or is it the same as emptiness? These are questions that cut to the heart of Mahāyāna Buddhist doctrine regarding the nature of enlightenment, reality, and the Path. This page introduces some of the key questions in buddha-nature theory, framed in terms of binaries.
The Topics
In the latter stages of its historical development in India, the idea of buddha-nature emerged as one of the most salient features of the Mahāyāna Buddhist tradition. As this form of Buddhism spread beyond the cultural milieu of ancient India, the importance of buddha-nature became evermore pronounced. In East Asian and Tibetan Buddhism, buddha-nature came to be a major keystone in the assimilation and adaptation of the Indian scriptural tradition. And, as these forms of Buddhism expanded upon that Indian heritage and developed their own literary expression of the Buddhist teachings, buddha-nature continued to be a major theme that was revisited again and again. Thus buddha-nature was weaved into the very fabric of these Buddhist traditions. Below you will find a list of pertinent topics related to buddha-nature, along with some of the major themes in which it played a crucial role.
The People
As one of the key doctrines of Mahāyāna Buddhism, buddha-nature has been taught by many of the greatest masters of India, China, Tibet, Japan, Mongolia, and Korea for well over a thousand years. Here you will find introductions to the many authors who have written on the topic, from the luminaries of Indian Madhyamaka to the great saints of Japan and Tibet. Also in this section, you will find pages for the many contemporary scholars and teachers who have written and spoken on buddha-nature. Simply filter the entire list using the search/filter bar below.
The History
The doctrine of buddha-nature became widespread in India in the first centuries of the Common Era. Although the ideas have roots that stretch back to the earliest teachings of the Buddha, the concept of tathāgatagarbha—"womb or seed of buddhahood"—was first taught in Mahāyāna communities. It was related to, but most likely distinct from both Madhyamaka and Yogācāra, the dominant schools of the Mahāyāna, emerging primarily from a corpus of scripture collectively known as Tathāgatagarbha sūtras and a commentary on them known as the Ratnagotravibhāga. As these scriptures circulated in India and were translated into Chinese and Tibetan, buddha-nature theory spread and was ultimately integrated—albeit with significant differences—into all philosophical schools and traditions of Mahāyāna Buddhism, from Japanese Zen to Tibetan Mahāmudrā.
The Literature
Texts and multilingual resources.
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The Library
A curated space for publications on buddha-nature.
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The Buddha-Nature Themes
Here you will find some examples of major themes in which the influence of buddha-nature is readily apparent.
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Featured Content
Increased attention to the tathāgatagarbha doctrine in the last decade has lead to significant publications and meetings on the topic of buddha-nature and related themes. Scholars in Asia, Europe, and the Americas have published new translations and studies of the foundational scriptures and commentaries, and are examining the history and literature of the doctrine. In July 2019 Tsadra Foundation partnered with the University of Vienna to bring many of these scholars together for an international symposium titled Tathāgatagarbha Across Asia. The presentations are available here and the edited papers will be published in a collection of essays from Wisdom Publications. See all presentations
Klaus-Dieter Mathes
Zhang ston Bsod nams grags pa’s Defense of Dol po pa’s Clear-Cut Distinction between Buddha Nature and the Ground Consciousness
Mathes, Klaus-Dieter. “Zhang ston Bsod nams grags pa’s Defense of Dol po pa’s Clear-Cut Distinction between Buddha Nature and the Ground Consciousness.” Paper presented at the University of Vienna Symposium, Tathāgatagarbha Across Asia, Vienna, Austria, July 2019. Video, 40:48. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-ALrY63cho.; People/'gos lo tsA ba gzhon nu dpal, Key Terms/trisvabhāva, Key Terms/pariniṣpannasvabhāva, Key Terms/paratantrasvabhāva, Key Terms/parikalpitasvabhāva, Key Terms/Jonang, Texts/Laṅkāvatārasūtra, Texts/Śrīmālādevīsūtra, People/Karmapa, 3rd, Texts/Tathāgatagarbhasūtra, Texts/Anūnatvāpūrṇatvanirdeśaparivarta, People/Dol po pa, Texts/Mahāyānottaratantraśāstropadeśa, Texts/Ratnagotravibhāgavyākhyā, Key Terms/ālayavijñāna, Key Terms/Yogācāra, People/Zhang ston bsod nams grags pa, Key Terms/gzhan stong, Texts/Ratnagotravibhāga Mahāyānottaratantraśāstra
Ngawang Jorden
Revisiting Gorampa on Buddha Nature
Jorden, Khenpo Ngawang. "Revisiting Gorampa on Buddha Nature." Paper presented at the University of Vienna Symposium, Tathāgatagarbha Across Asia, Vienna, Austria, July 2019. Video, 45:05. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmhgtw5HwCE.; Key Terms/rang stong, Key Terms/śūnyatā, Key Terms/trisvabhāva, Key Terms/pariniṣpannasvabhāva, Key Terms/paratantrasvabhāva, Key Terms/parikalpitasvabhāva, Key Terms/paramārthasatya, Key Terms/saṃvṛtisatya, Key Terms/Jonang, Key Terms/Sakya, People/Dol po pa, People/Rong ston shes bya kun rig, Texts/Sdom gsum rab dbye, People/Red mda' ba gzhon nu blo gros, People/Go rams pa bsod nams seng ge, Key Terms/Madhyamaka, Texts/Dharmadhātustava, People/Nāgārjuna, Debates / Debate, Key Terms/gzhan stong, Topics/History of buddha-nature in Tibet, Topics/Two Truths
Jacqueline Stone
From Buddha Nature to Original Enlightenment “Contemplating Suchness” in Medieval Japan
Stone, Jacqueline. "From Buddha Nature to Original Enlightenment: 'Contemplating Suchness' in Medieval Japan." Paper presented at the University of Vienna Symposium, Tathāgatagarbha Across Asia, Vienna, Austria, July 2019. Video, 47:26. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zXXWsD39hc.; Key Terms/dharmadhātu, Key Terms/neyārtha, Key Terms/nītārtha, Texts/Saddharmapuṇḍarīkasūtra, Key Terms/tathatā, Key Terms/dharmatā, People/Shinran, People/Genshin, Topics/History of buddha-nature in China, Topics/History of buddha-nature in Japan, Topics/The doctrine of buddha-nature in Japanese Buddhism, Topics/Tien Tai, Key Terms/original enlightenment, Disclosure model
Continued scholarly publications, Buddhist teaching events, the recent development of online buddha-nature resources, and the associated Tathāgatagarbha symposium in Vienna in 2019 have spurred greater interest in the topic both within Tibetan Buddhist traditions and among other spiritual traditions. This panel brings together experts in an attempt to refine and deepen our understanding of buddha-nature both in terms of theoretical interpretations and practical applications in Tibetan Buddhist communities, past or present.The main objective of the panel focuses on the interplay between points of doctrine and the practice of the path from the perspective of various Tibetan traditions and scholars. Contributions examine the interpretations of doctrines of tathāgatagarbha originally found in Indian scriptural sources. The methodological approach of these contributions range from historical-philological investigations to ethnographic research and comparative analysis.
See all presentations
In this wide-ranging video interview, Karl Brunnhölzl discusses buddha-nature and the key topics related to it. He begins by defining buddha-nature and then moves on to discuss such topics as the debate that the doctrine has generated, the concepts of emptiness and luminosity, and how buddha-nature relates to Vajrayana practice.
The writer-in-digital-residence is the recipient of a grant designed to support Tsadra Foundation’s Buddhist literacy projects that connect the larger public with academic research and advance understanding of specific aspects of Tibetan Buddhist traditions. Writers help to curate this online resource and write essays on the history, philosophy, and practices associated with buddha-nature teachings and tathāgatagarbha theory in Tibet. These essays are addressed to an audience of educated readers of Buddhist materials and Buddhist practitioners.
Lopen (Dr) Karma Phuntsho is one of Bhutan’s leading intellectuals. He has finished monastic training in Bhutan and India before he pursued a M.St in Classical Indian Religions, and D.Phil in Oriental Studies at Balliol College, Oxford. He was a researcher at CNRS, Paris, a Research Associate at Department of Social Anthropology and the Spalding Fellow for Comparative Religion at Clare Hall, Cambridge University, and Research Consultant at University of Virginia. An author of over hundred books and articles including the authoritative History of Bhutan and Mipham’s Dialectics and the Debates on Emptiness, he speaks and writes extensively on Bhutan and Buddhism. Read a complete bio.
Conversations on Buddha-Nature
Chatting with teachers, leaders, and influencers in the Dharma World
Tsadra Foundation is excited to support Karma Phuntsho in developing a series of online events called "Conversations on Buddha-Nature". This podcast-like project will be space for stimulating and inspiring conversations on Buddha-Nature and related subjects. As a part of the Buddha-Nature Project of the Tsadra Foundation, Karma Phuntsho will host conversations with a Buddhist leader, influencer or expert each month on the theories and practices of Buddha-Nature, which will be live on Facebook. An exercise of mindful listening, right speech, and wholesome exploration of meaning and nature of life, these conversations aim to enhance the understanding and awareness of Buddha-Nature and promote the ethos of innate goodness and positive perception.
Speakers
From the experts
In this interview Professor Klaus-Dieter Mathes discusses buddha-nature and the key ideas behind it, the controversies it generates, and some of the related Buddhist philosophy in comparative perspective.
In this video interview Wulstan Fletcher discusses Mipham's and Longchenpa's approach to buddha-nature as well as his personal experiences with buddha-nature teachings and how they have influenced his practice.
In this video interview Elizabeth Callahan discusses the key terminology that is used when speaking of buddha-nature. She explains the term ordinary mind and elaborates on the meaning of buddha-nature.
Other Interviews
Ringu Tulku
Ringu Tulku Interview on Buddha-Nature
Ringu Tulku. “Ringu Tulku Interview on Buddha-Nature.” Interview by Marcus Perman. Produced by Tsadra Foundation Research Department, October 10, 2019. Audio, 1:00:17.; People/'jam mgon kong sprul, People/Sgam po pa, Texts/Dam chos yid bzhin gyi nor bu thar pa rin po che'i rgyan, Topics/Defining buddha-nature, Topics/Sentient beings, Topics/The doctrine of buddha-nature in Tibetan Buddhism, Topics/Third Turning, Topics/Debate(s), Texts/Ratnagotravibhāga Mahāyānottaratantraśāstra
Tokpa Tulku
Tokpa Tulku Interview on Buddha-Nature
Tokpa Tulku. "Tokpa Tulku Interview on Buddha-Nature." Produced by the Tsadra Foundation Research Department, April 22, 2019, Kathmandu, Nepal. Audio, 25:08.; Key Terms/rang stong, Key Terms/gzhan stong, Topics/The doctrine of buddha-nature in Tibetan Buddhism, Topics/Debate(s), Texts/Ratnagotravibhāga Mahāyānottaratantraśāstra
Publications
Study the sources
The seeds of buddha-nature teachings are sprinkled throughout the sutras and tantras of the Buddhist canon. A core group of scripture that initially taught buddha-nature known as the tathāgatagarbha sūtras date between the second and fourth centuries. These include the Tathāgatagarbhasūtra, the Mahāparinirvāṇasūtra, the Śrīmālādevīsūtra and several others. The famous Laṅkāvatārasūtra was also important for buddha-nature theory. In Tibetan Buddhism the late-Indian treatise Ratnagotravibhāga Mahāyānottaratantraśāstra, or "Gyu Lama" as it is known in the Tibetan, serves as a major source for buddha-nature. In East Asia the Awakening of Faith in the Mahāyāna (大乗起信論) was the most influential treatise in spreading buddha-nature theory.
Explore the root verses
I.28
རྫོགས་སངས་སྐུ་ནི་འཕྲོ་ཕྱིར་དང་། །
དེ་བཞིན་ཉིད་དབྱེར་མེད་ཕྱིར་དང་། །
རིགས་ཡོད་ཕྱིར་ན་ལུས་ཅན་ཀུན། །
རྟག་ཏུ་སངས་རྒྱས་སྙིང་པོ་ཅན། །
Since the perfect buddhakaya radiates,
Since suchness is undifferentiable,
And because of the disposition,
All beings always possess the buddha heart.
French
संबुद्धकायस्फरणात् तथताव्यतिभेदतः
गोत्रतश्च सदा सर्वे बुद्धगर्भाः शरीरिणः
佛法身遍滿 真如無差別
皆實有佛性 是故說常有
(The Chinese translation collapses verses I:27 and I:28 into one verse. See Takasaki, page 197 note #2, for his speculation on this verse in the various languages.)
Select a language to view commentary on this verse.
Brunnhölzl, Karl. When the Clouds Part: The Uttaratantra and its Meditative Tradition as a Bridge between Sūtra and Tantra. Boston: Snow Lion Publications, an imprint of Shambhala Publications, 2015: pp. 331-460.
Now, with regard to suchness with stains, it is said that "all sentient beings possess the tathāgata heart."[1] {P90b} By virtue of which purport is that [said]? {J26}
Since buddha wisdom enters into the multitudes of beings,
Since its stainlessness is nondual by nature,
And since the buddha disposition is metaphorically referred to by
[the name of] its fruition,
All beings are said to possess the buddha [heart].[2] I.27
Since the perfect buddhakāya radiates,
Since suchness is undifferentiable,
And because of the disposition,
All beings always possess the buddha heart. I.28
In brief, it is in a threefold sense that the Bhagavān spoke of "all sentient beings always possessing the tathāgata heart."[3] {D88b} That is, [he spoke of this] in the sense that the dharmakāya of the Tathāgata radiates in [or into] all sentient beings, in the sense that the suchness of the Tathāgata is undifferentiable [from the suchness of beings], and in the sense that the tathāgata disposition really exists[4] [in these beings].[5] These three topical points will be taught [in detail] below [through nine examples] according to the Tathāgatagarbhasūtra.[6] Prior to that, however, the topic [consisting of these three points] is pointed out in all its aspects in the sense in which it is invariably taught in all the words [of the Buddha].[7] It is based on this that I shall discuss it [now, beginning with] a synopsis.[8]
- The wordings identical or similar to the phrase "all sentient beings possess the tathāgata heart" (also found in the text below right after I.133) or "all sentient beings always possess the tathāgata heart" (see the text below right after I.28) in RGVV occur several times in the Tathāgatagarbhasūtra. As RGVV says just below in the text (following I.28), it is precisely according to that sūtra that the three meanings of this phrase will be explained.
- In the Tibetan editions of the Uttaratantra, this verse follows I.28, and some editions omit it altogether. JKC (50) notes this fact and says that it does belong to the text since Dölpopa, Karma Könshön (a student of the Third Karmapa), Rongtön, Gö Lotsāwa, and others quote and comment on it extensively.
- DP and C reverse the order of verses I.27–28 and insert this sentence between them. For the sake of conforming with the pattern of the respective initial two verses on each one of the three jewels in the text above and the following topics below, Takasaki suggests to insert "What is taught by this?" (anena kiṃ darśitam /) between these two verses.
- This follows Schmithausen’s suggestion of sadbhāvārthena for saṃbhāvārthena. Schmithausen points out that the virtually identical term gotrasadbhāvārtham appears in the text below (J72.8; see the comments on I.149ff.).
- There are many volumes in Tibet as well as by Japanese and Western scholars on how Uttaratantra I.28 in general and its compound buddhagarbhāḥ in particular can be interpreted, so I will highlight just a few points here. As for the somewhat differing Sanskrit and Tibetan versions, spharaṇa in I.28a literally means "quivering," "throbbing," "vibrating," or "penetrating" (the Tibetan here is ’phro ba but khyab pa in the text below in the comments on I.146). Also, Uttaratantra II.13, II.93, and IV.61 use spharaṇa in connection with light rays, and the version of I.28a in Ratnākaraśānti’s Sūtrasamuccayabhāṣya (D3935, fol. 297a.1) says "the illuminating dharmadhātu radiates" (chos dbyings snang byed ’od ’byung). SM 8b "since the welfare of sentient beings depends on the victor,"which is a reformulation of Uttaratantra I.27a and I.28a, suggests an interaction between the dharmakāya of a buddha and the buddha natures of sentient beings. In this vein, an interlinear gloss on verse 11 explicitly relates the twofold dharmakāya—"the utterly stainless dharmadhātu and its natural outflow (teaching the principles of profundity and diversity)"in Uttaratantra I.145 (explained by RGVV as "consisting of the arising of [individually] corresponding [forms of] cognizance in other sentient beings to be guided")—to "the perfect buddhakāya radiates."Compare also the even more explicit explanation on such an interaction between the dharmakāya of a buddha and the tathāgata hearts of beings in CMW on I.28a (473), which says the following. In order to purify the basic element of sentient beings, with the dharmakāya functioning as the support, the sambhogakāya and the nirmāṇakāya perform the welfare of beings through pervading pure and impure retinues, respectively. Therefore, the basis to be purified—the tathāgata heart—exists in all sentient beings. For, if this basis to be purified did not exist in them, their being pervaded by the activity of the three kāyas would be pointless. CMW (480) also says that even those with wrong craving thrive through virtue (the cause for meeting a buddha in the future) because they have the naturally pure disposition. Without this naturally pure disposition, they would not thrive through the light rays of the wisdom of the tathāgatas and virtue. Similarly, YDC (374) answers some objections to enlightened activity by explaining it as the interaction between the dharmakāya of a buddha and the basic element of sentient beings: "‘There is no object for the enlightened activity of awakening to engage because sentient beings are by nature afflicted, similar to the activity of digging for gold’s not engaging anything if there is no gold.’ This is not true—since awakening exists in sentient beings too without any difference, it is that in which enlightened activity engages. ‘But if awakening exists in them without difference, enlightened activity does not need to engage it.’ Since it is obscured by adventitious afflictions, just as the sky is by clouds, these must be dispelled. ‘Enlightened activity does not have the power to do so.’ It does have that power because it entails great compassion." In addition, compare Padma Karpo’s explanation of I.28a in appendix 1. See also Ruegg (1969, 273) and Ruegg (1973, 97), who translates spharaṇa in I.28a as "irradiation." For these reasons, I chose "radiating"for spharaṇa since that English word covers both the meaning of "penetrating" and the sense of the tathāgata heart’s being vibrant with the energy of its natural luminosity (see the example below in this note of violins vibrating). As for vyatibheda in I.28b, rendered as "undifferentiable"above in the text (which corresponds more to Tib. dbyer med), it literally means "pervading." In the Tibetan, I.28c says "because the disposition exists (yod)," and I.28d ends in can, which literally means "to possess." However, can is also a common way to indicate a bahuvrīhi compound in Tibetan translations from Sanskrit, as is the case here. The two most basic renderings of the Sanskrit of the fourth line with its compound buddhagarbhāḥ are "all beings are always such that they contain a buddha/have a buddha as their core." Interestingly, in the early Tibetan translations, this line ended in yin ("are"), which was only replaced by can at a rather late point. The most obvious reason for this is to avoid the reading "all beings are the buddha heart,"which is immediately suggested to readers of Tibetan unfamiliar with the underlying Sanskrit. Though I use the word "possess" in I.28d, it is not meant in the sense of sentient beings’ actually owning buddha nature. Nevertheless, especially some later Tibetan (and Western) commentators greatly emphasize that beings actually possess the buddha heart or even full-fledged buddhahood. This is denied at length by the Eighth Karmapa’s commentary on the Abhisamayālaṃkāra (see Brunnhölzl 2010, 438–43). It is also contradicted by Uttaratantra I.27, which explicitly says that the disposition is not the actual buddhahood or dharmakāya—the fruition—but a case of labeling the cause with the name of its result. So, one way to look at these two verses is in terms of cause, fruition, and their fundamental equality. In this way, the disposition is the cause for the fruition of the buddhakāya, with suchness indicating that this "cause" is not different from the result (the nature of the mind being always the same in sentient beings and buddhas, or, throughout ground, path, and fruition). This is underlined by Uttaratantra I.142ab:
Its nature is buddhakāya,
Suchness, and the disposition.- As the Eighth Karmapa demonstrates in detail, it is impossible to establish verses I.27– 28 as strict logical proofs for buddha nature’s actually existing in all beings or their possessing it (these verses may only serve as indications or metaphors from the perspective of convenient parlance). This is also highlighted by the fact that in the Tibetan tradition, buddha nature is typically considered as a "very hidden phenomenon," which by definition does not lie within the reach of inferential valid cognition, but can be approached only through valid Buddhist scriptures. For a selection of Indian and Tibetan that offer more affirmative explanations of the three "proofs"in Uttaratantra I.27–28, see appendix 1.
- Without going into further details, I would like to present another more path-oriented example that adds to the perspective on the three "proofs,"especially "the buddhakāya radiating." As we saw, the first lines in the three verses I.27, I.28, and I.142 of the Uttaratantra equate buddhakāya, buddha wisdom, and dharmakāya, respectively, clearly indicating that the dharmakāya is not just mere emptiness but—as buddha wisdom—it actively engages and communicates with sentient beings. This is also clearly suggested by Uttaratantra I.145, which describes the dharmakāya as twofold: (a) the completely unstained dharmadhātu and (b) its natural outflow that consists of the teachings of the principles of profundity and diversity—which is used by SM as a gloss of the first line of I.28. RGVV explains that the dharmakāya of buddhas consists not only of (a), which is the dharma that represents the sphere of nonconceptual wisdom and is to be personally experienced by these buddhas. The natural outflow of the pure dharmadhātu (b), which is the cause for attaining (a), consists of the arising of individually corresponding forms of cognizance in the beings to be guided, which is the dharma that is the teaching. This fits with the explanation of line I.28a in the Eighth Karmapa’s Lamp (14–15): "At the point when the wisdom of realization—the awareness that exists primordially as not being different from the sugata heart as the expanse—rises from the expanse that is the profound matrix of the sugata heart, all seeds of obscuration are relinquished. The self-awareness of this wisdom of realization is accomplished through the wisdom of the fundamental change of [having gathered] immeasurable accumulations [of merit and wisdom]. You may wonder, ‘How is it accomplished?’ The cognition that frees from stains [and exists] in the cognizance of sentient beings that is associated with obscurations is blessed by the inconceivable power of the wisdom [of a buddha]. In addition, there [also] exists the element of wisdom in the element that is the cognition [of sentient beings] free from stains. It is by virtue of the power of both [the cognition that frees from stains and is blessed by buddha wisdom and the intrinsic wisdom of sentient beings] that their cognizance fundamentally changes into being without stains, and thus the wisdom of realization becomes of one taste with the dharmakāya."Later, the Lamp (30–31) says: "That certain [beings] to be guided see these miracles of the body, speech, and mind of the [buddhas] is by virtue of the power of both the tathāgatas’ compassion of blessing, emanating, and transforming adventitious seeming [reality] through their having gained mastery over powerful ultimate reality and the tathāgata hearts of those to be guided, whose mind streams are endowed with the tathāgata heart. [Through this,] even ordinary beings are able to realize the miracles of the bhagavāns, the indestructible vajra points." In addition, as mentioned above, the Sanskrit term spharaṇa for "radiates"literally means "vibrates." So, as far as the "awakening"of buddha nature in sentient beings is concerned, one may think of both buddhas and sentient beings as violins, with the "buddha violins"being in perfect tune and playing loudly, clearly, and all the time (teaching the dharma in various ways), while the strings of the "sentient being violins"are covered by a very light cloth. In that situation, the strings of the latter violins will not resound when the former play, but all the strings with the same tuning will at least start to vibrate, even if they are covered by such a light cloth. The less they are covered and the louder the strings of the "buddha violins"play, the stronger they will vibrate, so that the cloth starts moving and gradually slips off the strings, resulting in the strings of the "sentient being violins"gradually resounding louder and clearer too. Likewise, on the path, the more the qualities of buddha nature in beings are stimulated and thus "shake off,"so to speak, their adventitious obscurations, the more these qualities manifest fully. In brief, the first line of Uttaratantra I.28 refers to the "buddha violins"vibrating and the third line to the "sentient being violins." The fact that the former can actually make the latter vibrate too is shown by the second line, which states (in effect) that their "strings"are indeed of the same nature. For further discussions of Uttaratantra I.27–28, see appendix 1 as well as Ruegg 1969, 272–86, Mipham Rinpoche’s Lamp of Certainty (Pettit 1999, 384–87), and Kano 2006.
- RGVV provides an explanation of I.27–28 in the context of matching the nine examples for buddha nature with its threefold nature of dharmakāya, suchness, and the disposition (see I.143–52).
- DP have this sentence in a slightly different form ("This topic in all its aspects should be explained through the sense in which it is invariably taught in all the words [of the Buddha]") immediately after verse I.27 and preceding the above sentence "That is, [he spoke of this] in the sense . . ." As for "the sense in which it is invariably taught in all the words [of the Buddha],"it seems difficult to ascertain that buddha nature is always explained by way of the following ten topics in the scriptures. However, as mentioned in the introduction, the first six seem to be a rather common template, at least in Yogācāra texts, in particular in their descriptions of ultimate reality, and RGVV (J40) says at the end of the sixth topic that the remaining four topics are simply extensions of the sixth one. GC (330) also states that this template of six topics is found in many texts besides the Uttaratantra (such as the Abhidharmasamuccaya) and explains that the first topic "nature" is the main point to be understood, while the remaining five topics represent the means to understand this first topic. In addition, the Uttaratantra also uses the very same six topics in its second chapter to describe awakening, with the seventh and eighth topics in this chapter being again extensions of the sixth one.
- Due to the above-mentioned differences in PD, the section after "By virtue of which purport is that [said]?"reads: "I.28. In brief, it is in a threefold sense that the Bhagavān spoke of ‘all sentient beings always possessing the tathāgata heart.’ I.27. This topic in all its aspects should be explained through the sense in which it is invariably taught in all the words [of the Buddha]. It is based on this that I shall discuss it [here]. That is, [he spoke of this] in the sense that the dharmakāya of the Tathāgata radiates in [or into] all sentient beings, in the sense that the suchness of the Tathāgata is undifferentiated [from the suchness of beings], and in the sense that the tathāgata disposition exists [in these beings]. These three topical points will be taught [in detail] below according to the Tathāgatagarbhasūtra. [Here, I begin with] a synopsis."GC (263.6–7 and 22–25) reads: "I.27. This topic in all its aspects is pointed out through the sense in which it is invariably taught in all the words [of the Buddha]. It is based on this that I shall discuss it first. I.28. In brief, it is in a threefold sense that the Bhagavān spoke of ‘all sentient beings always possessing the tathāgata heart.’ That is, [he spoke of this] in the sense that the dharmakāya of the Tathāgata radiates in [or into] all sentient beings, in the sense that the suchness of the Tathāgata is undifferentiated [from the suchness of beings], and in the sense that the tathāgata disposition really exists [in these beings]. These three topical points will be taught [in detail] below according to the Tathāgatagarbhasūtra. [Here, I begin with] a synopsis."
Asaṅga (thogs med). Mahāyānottaratantraśāstravyākhyā, (theg pa chen po rgyud bla ma'i bstan bcos rnam par bshad pa). Translated by Sajjana and rngog blo ldan shes rab. In Derge Tengyur (sde dge bstan 'gyur), (D 4025) sems tsam, phi 74b1-129a7, Vol. 123 pp. 148-257. 
BDRC
BDRC།དེ་ལ་དྲི་མ་{br}དང་བཅས་པའི་དེ་བཞིན་ཉིད་ཀྱི་དབང་དུ་མཛད་ནས་སེམས་ཅན་ཐམས་ཅད་ནི་དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པའི་སྙིང་པོ་ཅན་ནོ་ཞེས་གསུངས་པ་གང་ཡིན་པ་དེ་དོན་གང་གི་ཡིན་ཞེ་ན། རྫོགས་སངས་སྐུ་ནི་འཕྲོ་ཕྱིར་དང་། །དེ་བཞིན་ཉིད་དབྱེར་མེད་ཕྱིར་དང་། །རིགས་ཡོད་ཕྱིར་ན་ལུས་ཅན་{br}ཀུན། །རྟག་ཏུ་སངས་རྒྱས་སྙིང་པོ་ཅན། །མདོར་བསྡུ་ན་དོན་རྣམ་པ་གསུམ་གྱིས་སེམས་ཅན་ཐམས་ཅད་ནི་རྟག་ཏུ་དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པའི་སྙིང་པོ་ཅན་ནོ་ཞེས་བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ཀྱིས་གསུངས་ཏེ། སངས་རྒྱས་ཡེ་ཤེས་སེམས་ཅན་ཚོགས་ཞུགས་ཕྱིར། །རང་བཞིན་དྲི་མེད་{br}དེ་ནི་གཉིས་མེད་དེ། །སངས་རྒྱས་རིགས་ལ་དེ་འབྲས་ཉེར་བརྟགས་ཕྱིར། །འགྲོ་ཀུན་སངས་རྒྱས་སྙིང་པོ་ཅན་དུ་གསུངས། །དོན་དེ་རྣམ་པ་ཐམས་ཅད་དོན་གང་གིས་གསུང་རབ་ཐམས་ཅད་དུ་ཁྱད་པར་མེད་པར་བསྟན་པར་འགྱུར་བ་དེའི་དབང་དུ་བྱས་ཏེ་བཤད་པར་
བྱའོ། །འདི་ལྟ་སྟེ། སེམས་ཅན་ཐམས་ཅད་ལ་དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པའི་ཆོས་ཀྱི་སྐུས་འཕྲོ་བའི་དོན་དང་། དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པའི་དེ་བཞིན་ཉིད་རྣམ་པར་དབྱེར་མེད་པའི་དོན་དང་། དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པའི་རིགས་ཡོད་པའི་དོན་གྱིས་སོ། །དོན་གྱི་གནས་གསུམ་པོ་{br}འདི་དག་ཀྱང་དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པའི་སྙིང་པོའི་མདོའི་རྗེས་སུ་འབྲངས་ཏེ་འོག་ནས་སྟོན་པར་འགྱུར་རོ།
Johnston, E. H. and Chowdhury, T. The Ratnagotravibhāga Mahāyānanottaratantraśāstra. Patna: Bihar Research Society, 1950. Digital input provided by the Digital Sanskrit Buddhist Canon Project, Miroj Shakya proof reader. University of the West, 2007.
tatra samalāṃ tathatāmadhikṛtya yaduktaṃ sarvasattvāstathāgatagarbhā iti tat kenārthena/
buddhajñānāntargamāt sattvarāśe-
stannairmalyasyādvayatvāt prakṛtyā/
bauddhe gotre tatphalasyopacārā-
duktāḥ sarve dehino buddhagarbhāḥ//27//
saṃbuddhakāyaspharaṇāt tathatāvyatibhedataḥ/
gotrataśca sadā sarve buddhagarbhāḥ śarīriṇaḥ//28//
samāsatastrividhenārthena sadā sarvasattvāstathāgatagarbhā ityuktaṃ bhagavatā/ yaduta sarvasattveṣu tathāgatadharmakāyaparispharaṇārthena tathāgatatathatāvyatibhedārthena tathāgatagotrasaṃbhavārthena ca/ eṣāṃ punastrayāṇāmarthapadānāmutaratra tathāgatagarbhasūtrānusāreṇa nirdeśo bhaviṣyati/ pūrvataraṃ tu yenārthena sarvatrāviśeṣeṇa pravacane sarvākāraṃ tadarthasūcanaṃ bhavati tadapyādhikṛtya nirdekṣyāmi/
Unknown (credited in East Asian Buddhist traditions to Jianyi 堅意, or *Sāramati). Ratnagotravibhāga (Jiu jing yi cheng bao xing lun). Translated by Ratnamati (Lenamoti 勒那摩提). Taishō no. 1611. CBETA, SAT.
論曰自此已後餘殘論偈次第依彼四句廣差別說應知此以何義向前偈言
真如有雜垢 及遠離諸垢 佛無量功德 及佛所作業 如是妙境界 是諸佛所知 依此妙法身 出生於三寶 此偈示現何義如向所說一切眾生有如來藏彼依何義故如是說偈言
佛法身遍滿 真如無差別 皆實有佛性 是故說常有
一切眾生界 不離諸佛智 以彼淨無垢 性體不二故 依一切諸佛 平等法性身 知一切眾生 皆有如來藏
The Root Verses
Study the Uttaratantra's root verses in multiple languages.
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Traditional expositions
The Fourteenth Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso
Discourse on the Uttaratantra by The 14th Dalai Lama in Holland
Dalai Lama, 14th. "Discourse on Uttaratantra." Pt. 1 of 4. Interpreted by Alexander Berzin, Filmed May 1986 in Holland. Produced by Study Buddhism. Video, 1:37:22, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsiVRQ3T6EY.; Key Terms/āgantukamala, Key Terms/prabhāsvaracitta, Texts/Ratnagotravibhāga Mahāyānottaratantraśāstra
Ringu Tulku
Buddha Nature: A Talk by Ringu Tulku Rinpoche
Ringu Tulku. "Buddha Nature." Pt. 1 of 3. Produced by and filmed at Karma Sonam Dargye Ling Temple, December 1, 2015. Video, 1:37:22. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8BD50jtFgg.;
Kirti Tsenshab
Buddha Potential 1: Uttaratantra by Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche at Land of Medicine Buddha, 2003
Tsenshab, Kirti. "Buddha Potential 1: Uttaratantra by Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche." Pt. 1 of 9. Filmed at Land of Medicine Buddha, Soquel, CA, 2003. Video, 1:27:14. https://vimeo.com/136634699.; Texts/Ratnagotravibhāga Mahāyānottaratantraśāstra
Khenpo Sodargye
Mahayana Uttaratantra Shastra: Taught by Khenpo Sodargye, May 2019
Khenpo Sodargye. "The Mahayana Uttaratantra Shastra." Pt. 1 of 15. In Chinese with English translation. Produced by Khenpo Sodargye's team, May 2019. Video, 1:00:17. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4OiLLo1e_Y.; Key Terms/Nyingma, Texts/Ratnagotravibhāga Mahāyānottaratantraśāstra
Teachings on the Uttaratantra by Gyumed Khensur Rinpoche
Khensur, Gyumed. "Uttaratantra (Buddha Nature)." Pt. 1 of 16. Streamed live on August 13, 2016 by Do Ngak Kunphen Ling and the Mahayana Sutra and Tantra Center of New Jersey. Video, 1:49:55. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIeSENCwGzI.; Texts/Ratnagotravibhāga Mahāyānottaratantraśāstra
Orgyen P'huntsok
Tulku Orgyen Phuntsok Buddha Nature Class: Teachings on the Uttaratantra
Phuntsok, Tulku Orgyen. "Buddha Nature." A Six-Part Teaching on the Uttaratantra Shastra. Pt. 1 of 6. Produced by the Odiyana Institute, 2018. Video, 1:20:20. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtQ5xyMtlAg.; Texts/Ratnagotravibhāga Mahāyānottaratantraśāstra
