Property:Description
From Buddha-Nature
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A translation of Sangye Nyenpa Rinpoche's detailed explanation of the Third Karmapa Rangjung Dorje's famous Mahāmudrā Aspiration Prayer. +
A collection of inspiration and wisdom, seen through the tales of housewives and kings, bandits and monks, and the deep mountains of Korea.
In these thirty-three stories, one of Korea’s foremost Seon(Zen) Masters shows us our inherent potential and teaches us how to live with dignity and courage in any circumstances. Appealing to both children and adults, these stories are drawn from the rich Buddhist tradition of Korea and reveal the unseen dimensions of our lives while showing us how to become true human beings. (Source: [http://www.hanmaumbooks.com/ Hanmaum Publications]) +
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Dzogchen is the consummate practice of Tibetan Buddhism. A pure awareness practice applicable to any circumstance and readily integrated into modern life, Dzogchen directly introduces us to the inherent freedom, purity, and perfection of being that is our true nature. ''Natural Great Perfection'' is an inspiring collection of teachings providing the deepest possible insight into the practice of the Dzogchen path. The teachings are followed by a collection of spontaneous vajra songs composed in the tradition of Milarepa as the delightful play of wisdom consciousness. (Source: [https://www.shambhala.com/natural-great-perfection-2310.html Shambhala Publications]) +
The book concerns the recent debate in Thailand over the nature of ''nibbāna'' (''nīrvāna''), the unconditioned, whether it is ''attā'' (self) or ''anattā'' (not-self). It is largely based on the thesis submitted to Bristol University published earlier.
Western Buddhist studies, especially of recent years, have assumed that Theravāda Buddhism straightforwardly teaches the doctrine of ''anattā'': that Theravāda Buddhism rejects ''attā'' in all respects, including in the ultimate sense. However, as the well-known debate in Thailand, which reached its zenith in 1999, has shown, there appears to be a significant minority of Theravāda monks, respected by significant numbers of Theravāda laity, arguing that ''nibbāna'' is ''attā''.
This debate can be seen as a manifestation of the Buddhist controversies over the understanding and implications of the ''anattā'' doctrine, but argued in the perspectives of contemporary Thai Theravāda Buddhism. As it was carried out mainly in Thai language publications of various sorts and makes extensive references from Thai version of the Pāli Tipiṭaka, this book is therefore intended to make use of my fluency in Thai language to bring to light and present something of the history and arguments that inform this debate. What I have chosen to do is to present in summary, with comment, two important Thai contributions to the debate, namely, ''Dhammakāya Case'' by P.A. Payutto, which argues that ''nibbāna'' is ''anattā'', and, ''The Principle of Examination of Nibbāna-dhātu According to the Words of the Buddha and the Aṭṭhakathā'' by Phutthathamprathip, which argues that ''nibbāna'' is ''attā''.
After comparing this debate to the Tibetan ''Rang Stong'' and ''Gzan Stong'' dispute, it is concluded that they reveal two similar trends found in the history of Buddhist thought, one positing a substantial
absolute beyond all conceptualization, and the other rejecting all kinds of substantial absolute. Both trends are found at various points in the history of Buddhism in different traditions. (Cholvijarn, abstract, iv–v)
This book is the full Dharmakṣema version of the ''Mahāyāna Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra''. This particular book is unique in that the passages are numbered, making it easier for people to find verses of importance. It is translated by Kosho Yamamoto. +
It is often said that enlightenment means “crossing over to the other shore,” that far-off place where we can at last be free from suffering. Likewise, it is said that Buddhist teachings are the raft that takes us there.
In this sparkling collection from one of the most vital teachers of modern Korean Buddhism, Zen Master Daehaeng shows us that there is no raft to find and, truly, no river to cross. She extends her hand to the Western reader, beckoning each of us into the unfailing wisdom accessible right now, the enlightenment that is always, already, right here.
A Zen (or seon, as Korean Zen is called) master with impeccable credentials, Daehaeng has developed a refreshing approach; ''No River to Cross'' is surprisingly personal. It’s disarmingly simple, yet remarkably profound, pointing us again and again to our foundation, our “True Nature”—the perfection of things just as they are. (Source: [https://wisdomexperience.org/product/no-river-cross/ Wisdom Publications]) +
''Not Always So'' is based on Shunryu Suzuki's lectures and is framed in his own inimitable, allusive, paradoxical style, rich with unexpected and off–centre insights. Suzuki knew he was dying at the time of the lectures, which gives his thoughts an urgency and focus even sharper than in the earlier book.
In ''Not Always So'' Suzuki once again voices Zen in everyday language with the vigour, sensitivity, and buoyancy of a true friend. Here is support and nourishment. Here is a mother and father lending a hand, but letting you find your own way. Here is guidance which empowers your freedom (or way–seeking mind), rather than pinning you down to directions and techniques. Here is teaching which encourages you to touch and know your true heart and to express yourself fully, teaching which is not teaching from outside, but a voice arising in your own being. ([https://www.harpercollins.com/products/not-always-so-shunryu-suzukiedward-espe-brownzen-center-san-francisco?variant=32122621132834 Source Accessed Nov 25, 2020]) +
This book is part of a 10-volume "Series on Mahayana Buddhism" published between 2011 and 2014. The series consists of the contributions of over seventy authors from Japan and other countries. Mahayana Buddhism is an ideological movement that came into existence in the early years of the first millennium CE through the inheritance of the teachings of Buddhism as developed by the Buddha in India in the fifth century BCE, as well as through the development of new sutras both during and since that time. Throughout the following several hundred years, Mahayana Buddhism played a major role in deepening the development of Buddhist thought, particularly regarding epistemology and ontology. Tathāgatagarbha and Buddha nature, the themes of this book, are ideas developed in the final stages of Mahayana Buddhism, which had a significant effect on the formation of Buddhist thought in East Asia and Tibet. Especially in China, Mahayana Buddhism has received attention for both merging with the philosophy of Huayan Buddhism and for affecting the theoretical form of Neo-Confucianism, as well as for providing theoretical support for the leaders of the Xinhai Revolution.<br> Tathāgatagarbha and Buddha nature are technical terms that indicate the existence of the true nature of the Buddha or Tathāgata who has attained enlightenment through totally unclouded insight (prajñā), within all living things, though these living things may be covered with the impurity of worldly desire and be seemingly incapable of attaining enlightenment. In essence, these terms refer to the fact that the Buddha or Tathāgata resides within the nature of all living things. The notions of Tathāgatagarbha and Buddha nature make assertions about the nature of enlightenment or salvation for living things still trapped in an unenlightened condition of suffering. They do so from the ideological position of those Tathāgatas or Buddhas who have already realized truth and been released from suffering and unenlightenment. These ideas are expressed as a kind of theodicy and soteriology, as they deal with the challenge of how super-temporal, absolute truth appears at a historical or personal level. Ideas that originate in the mature period of the history of an ideology produce higher-level notions that allow concepts born in various contexts in the previous history of the ideology to coexist. The ideas of Tathāgatagarbha and Buddha nature, which point to the Tathāgata or Buddha that dwells within all living things, encompass both all living things and Tathāgata, and so exist at a higher conceptual level than either.<br> There are two foundations of the ideas of Tathāgatagarbha and Buddha nature, which simultaneously problematize both unenlightenment and enlightenment: the features of soteriology in general religious thought, and the view of truth that is unique to Buddhism. Soteriology, as conceived of in general religious thought, considers the world in a dualistic fashion, as being split into the world of humanity and the world of gods, the world of suffering and the world of liberation, the endless cycle of life and death (samsara) and supreme enlightenment (nirvana). On the one hand is a relative, limited, and impermanent world, and on the other an absolute, infinite, and eternal world. The movement from the former aspect to the latter is not ceaseless but, rather, requires a change in the dimension of our existence, such as religious conversion or enlightenment. The experience of the individual transforms the aspect of the world, which formerly appeared as a single layer, thus exposing its mysterious and unseen facets. In contrast to many religions, which end their exposition at this point, Mahayana Buddhism takes the appearance of this duality itself as a subjective experience and seeks to reach the point at which both aspects ultimately become indistinguishable. The scenery of this world as seen from the world of libreration, worldly desire purified by enlightenment, Samsara illuminated by nirvana are all accepted as they are, without the necessity of any negation or denial. The duality of the world is therefore overcome, and a higher-level equality emerges that still acknowledges individual differences. ([https://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/biblioplaza/en/B_00078.html Source Accessed June 29, 2020])
Voluminous anthology of articles by eminent scholars about the ''Awakening of Faith'''s reception and influence among numerous major Chinese, Korean, and Japanese Buddhist figures and among modern scholars, doctrines of buddha-nature and ''tathāgata-garbha'' (womb of buddhas), textual borrowings, and its relationship to the Dilun school, from which many scholars believe it emerged. ([https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780195393521/obo-9780195393521-0170.xml Source Accessed July 3, 2020]) +
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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.
Over three days the symposium surveyed the differing forms of tathāgatagarbha doctrine that developed as its primary Indian scriptural sources were translated, transmitted, and interpreted by religious schools across Asia. Contemporary Buddhist teachers joined academics at the podium. Presentations ranged from the historical-philological analysis of the primary sources to issues of reconstruction and comparison in the target languages and cultures and included how tathāgatagarbha is taught in Buddhist communities today. Although primarily focused on the Indian and Himalayan material, the diversity in approaches and subject matter made for fruitful comparisons and discussions. +
What is it like to be a Buddha? Is there only one Buddha or are there many? What can Buddhas do and what do they know? Is there anything they cannot do and cannot know? These and associated questions were much discussed by Buddhist thinkers in India, and a complex and subtle set of doctrinal positions was developed to deal with them. This is the first book in a western language to treat these doctrines about Buddha from a philosophical and thoroughly critical viewpoint.
The book shows that Buddhist thinkers were driven, when theorizing about Buddha, by a basic intuition that Buddha must be maximally perfect, and that pursuing the implications of this intuition led them into some conceptual dilemmas that show considerable similarity to some of those treated by western theists. The Indian Buddhist tradition of thought about these matters is presented here as thoroughly systematic, analytical, and doctrinal.
The book's analysis is based almost entirely upon original sources in their original languages. All extracts discussed are translated into English and the book is accessible to nonspecialists, while still treating material that has not been much discussed by western scholars.
(Source: back cover) +
''A Treatise on Buddha Nature'' by Rangjung Dorje, the third Karmapa, is one of the Kagyu lineage's oldest and most important texts, belonging to the tradition of the Six Yogas of Naropa. In the nineteenth century, Jamgön Kongtrul composed a commentary to it, which Khenchen Thrangu uses as the basis for the teachings in this book. <br><br>
The subject of this famous treatise is budda essence, the basic nature of all beings. The term is a translation of the Sanskrit ''tathagatagarbha'', or ''deshek nyingpo'' (bde-gshegs snying-po) in Tibetan. The Tibetan interprets ''garbha'' as "essence" (snying-po), the innermost part of something. Both terms indicate that our very nature is buddhahood—buddha essence is possessed not only by enlightened masters but by everyone. <br><br>
The path to awakening buddha essence, or buddha nature, is meditation. The practitioner needs to understand not only how to meditate, but also the reasons for meditation, in order to develop insight. This text contains complete instruction on how to discover buddha essence in our ourselves.<br>(Source: back cover) +
Douglas Duckworth discusses the concept of buddha-nature vis-a-vis the notion of emptiness. +
Continuing his discussion of the curriculum at Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling, Tokpa Tulku explains that buddha-nature can be a part of debate. However, it is a much more difficult topic than attempting to debate the topic of emptiness. The difficulty lies in the fact that buddha-nature is beyond one's experience. +
Karl Brunnhölzl, author of ''When the Clouds Part'', discusses chapter 1 verse 28 of the ''Uttaratantrashastra'', the famous verse in this text which talks about the three reasons all sentient beings have buddha-nature. +
Media/On Hakamaya Noriaki and Matsumoto Shiro's Criticism of Tathāgatagarbha by Jamie Hubbard and Paul Swanson +
Jamie Hubbard and Paul Swanson discuss the criticisms laid out by Hakamaya Noriaki and Matsumoto Shiro with respect to the doctrine of buddha-nature, or Tathāgatagarbha. +
Media/On Hakamaya Noriaki and Matsumoto Shiro's Doctrinal Positions, the Japanese Response, and the Legacy of Critical Buddhism by Jamie Hubbard and Paul Swanson +
Jamie Hubbard and Paul Swanson discuss Hakamaya Noriaki and Matsumoto Shiro's doctrinal positions, the Japanese response, and the legacy of Critical Buddhism. +
Karl Brunnhölzl discusses his motivation for writing his book on the ''Uttaratantra'' called ''When the Clouds Part'' and how the project took shape. +
Ringu Tulku describes how the first time he engaged with buddha-nature teachings was via the ''Lion’s Roar: Exposition of Buddha-Nature'' (''Bde gshegs snying po'i stong thun chen mo seng+ge'i nga ro'') by Mipam Gyatso. He explains how this approach was unusual and was determined by the availability of texts. +
Wulstan Fletcher describes his own experience with the teachings of buddha-nature. In particular he speaks about how his study of the emptiness teachings of Madhyamaka has been essential to his understanding of buddha-nature. He goes on to discuss how practice is a means of developing the recognition of the buddha-nature within. +
