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From Buddha-Nature
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"What if," asks Tsadra Foundation executive director Marcus Perman, "we were brought up with the knowledge that each one of us is by nature capable of complete freedom from suffering, and that we possess wisdom and
compassion on a nearly unthinkable scale?" +
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]) +
''Zimmermann, Michael. "Nyraizōkyō saiko: Busshō no kyūyu wo chūshin to shite" (Reconsidering the ''Tathāgatagarbhasūtra'' Focusing on the Nine Similes of Buddha-nature). In ''Nyoraizō to Busshō'' (''Tathāgatagarbha'' and Buddha Nature), edited by Masahiro Shimoda, 97–139. Vol. 8 of ''Shirīzu Daijō Bukkyō'' (Series on Mahāyāna Buddhism). Tokyo: Shunjūsha, 2014.'' +
D. S. Ruegg, in his ''La Théorie du Tathāgatagarbha et du Gotra'' and other works,[1] has mentioned the need for further study of the various Tibetan exegetical traditions involved in the controversies surrounding the ''tathāgata-garbha'' doctrine. He has relied extensively on the exegesis developed by dGe lugs-pa scholars. This paper is an initial attempt to address this need voiced by Ruegg, by presenting the views of a bKa'-brgyud-pa and two rNying-ma-pa scholars. In particular, the focus will be on elucidating how they applied the interpretive devices of ''nītārtha'' (''nges-don'', certain, definitive meaning) and ''neyārtha'' (''drang-don'', indirect meaning which is to be established) to texts dealing with the tathāgatagarbha.[2] One of the basic philosophical problems the Tibetans faced in this regard was the relationship between the concepts of ''sûnyatā'' and ''tathāgatagarbha'' emphasized in the second and third "turnings of the wheel of Dharma" (''dharmacakra-pravartana'') respectively. +
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<center>Presentations and Panel Discussion at the 16th IATS Conference, Prague, 3-9 July 2022 <br><br>''Panel Convenors: Karma Phuntsho and Gregory Forgues
''<br><small>Tsadra Foundation</small></center> +
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. +
''Khandro Rinpoche. "On Buddhanature—and What It Is Not." Adapted from a teaching given by Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche in Amsterdam, June 19, 2008. Transcription edited by Lopön Helen Berliner. Her Eminence Mindrolling Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche (website). Accessed Oct. 14, 2020. https://www.khandrorinpoche.org/teachings/print/jkr-on-buddha-nature-2008-06-19/.'' +
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. +
Ringu Tulku talks about how beginning students might start to orient themselves toward buddha-nature teachings in practice. He explains that it is important to recognize that everybody has the seed of wisdom and compassion within them, which can develop over time. The development of this wisdom through education, training, etc., is the practice of Buddhism and is what the path is all about. +
Venerable Dhammadipa describes how he came to study the Yogachara tradition, having been first ordained in the Theravada tradition. +
In this video Tokpa Tulku begins by describing the difficulty inherent in understanding the unity of emptiness and luminosity, or appearance, an understanding made more difficult by our habitual patterns of thinking. He goes on to describe how buddha-nature is considered the ground of one's practice, as it is concerned with the view and the possibility of becoming a buddha. Gaining certainty that one has buddha-nature aids in one's practice. It is especially important in modern times, where people are looking elsewhere for security and happiness. Buddha-nature, in contrast, is that which is always within you, as a refuge. +
