Buddha-Nature Timeline

By 100 BCE

Aṅguttaranikāya mentions the luminous nature of the mind.

By 100 CE

Aṣṭasahāsrikāprajñāpāramitāsūtra states that the mind is luminous by nature.

c.100 CE

Mahāparinirvāṇasūtra (which Michael Radich dates as early as the 2nd Century) mentions tathāgathagarbha and used the term ātman to describe buddha-nature.

c. 200 CE

Tathāgatagarbhasūtra (as dated by Michael Zimmermann) and other scriptures later considered as sūtras teaching tathāgathagarbha were circulating and promoted the concept of buddha-nature.

c. 200 CE

Nāgārjuna wrote Dharmadhātustava and praised the sphere of reality as the basis of saṃsāra and nirvāṇa. He called it 'the element' and 'luminous mind' and claimed emptiness does not negate this nature.

c. 300 CE

Tathāgathagarbhasūtra was perhaps translated into Chinese by Faju.

c. 320 CE

Śrīmālādevīsiṃhanādanirdeśa (which may have been circulating as one of the most influential sūtras on buddha-nature) is said to have been translated into Chinese by Seng Fani. It claims buddha-nature 'is empty of adventitious stains but not empty of its limitless inseparable qualities'.

By 400 CE

Mahābherīsūtra (which was translated into Chinese by Guṇabhadra) equates buddha-nature with dharmakāya. Anūnatvāpūrṇatvanirdeśaparivarta (which Jonathan Silk dates at least before the earliest 5th century) mentions how sentient beings, bodhisattvas and buddhas are three phase of the buddha-nature being impure, partially obscured and fully pure.

c.417 CE

Buddhabhadra and Faxian translates Mahāparinirvāṇasūtra into Chinese.

By 433 CE

According to Takasaki, Ratnagotravibhāga, which Central Asian and Tibetan sources attribute to Maitreya and Chinese sources attributed to Sāramati, was composed.

c. 500 CE

Ratnamati, who translated the Ratnagotravibhāga into Chinese, travelled to China.

c. 550 CE

Paramārtha translated the Awakening of Faith attributed to Aśvaghoṣa into Chinese and thereby promoting the concept of Original Enlightenment.

580 CE

Tanyan wrote the first commentary on the Awakening of Faith, which was followed by some 170 other commentaries written in China, Japan and Korea.

c. 800 CE

Yeshe De and others translate major Buddha-Nature sūtras such as the Tathāgatagarbhasūtra and Mahāparinirvāṇasūtra into Tibetan.

792-794 CE

The Great Samye Debate between the Indian gradualists led by the Mādhyamika master Kamalaśīla and Chinese subitist led by Chan monk Mahāyāna.

By 1040 CE

Maitrīpa (986-1063) is said to have discovered the texts of Ratnagotravibhāga and Dharmadharmatāvibhāga in a stupa.

c. 1040 CE

Ratnavajra, grandfather of Sajjana may have composed his commentary on the Ultimate Continuum.

c. 1050 CE

Atiśa Dīpaṅkara and Naktso Tsultrim Gyelwa translated the Ratnagotravibhāgauttaratantra or the Ultimate Continuum into Tibetan in Yerpa, Tibet.

1076 CE

Ngok Loden Sherab and Tsen Khawoche depart for Kashmir where they received teachings on works of Maitreya including the Ultimate Continuum from Sajjana.

c. 1085 CE

Tsen Khawoche Drime Sherab, who received teachings on the Ultimate Continuum from Sajjana with the help of Zu Gawai Dorje as translator and returned to Tibet and taught the Ultimate Continuum in Tibet thereby starting the meditative tradition (སྒོམ་ལུགས་) of the Ultimate Continuum..

By 1092 CE

Ngok Loden Sherab translated the Ultimate Continuum with the help of Sajjana in Anupama town in Kashmir. He also composed his commentaries on the Ultimate Continuum and Sajjana wrote his instructions on the Ultimate Continuum.

c. 1100 CE

Patsab Lotsāwa Nyima Drakpa, who introduced Prāsaṅgika Madhyamaka tradition to Tibet, and Marpa Dopa Chökyi Wangchuk, who is known for the transmission of Cakrasaṃvara to Tibet, translated the Ultimate Continuum. Maria Dopa also composed his commentary.

c. 1130 CE

Gampopa claims that "the text for our Mahāmudrā is the Ultimate Continuum".

c. 1150 CE

Chapa Chökyi Senge, the sixth abbot of Sangpu Neutok, composed his summary as well as detailed explanation of the Ultimate Continuum and carried on the philosophical legacy of Ngok Loden Sherab.

c. 1150 CE

Lhodrak Dharma Senge, for whom we do not have much information, composed his commentary on the Ultimate Continuum.

c. 1400 CE

Rongtön Sheja Kunrik wrote his commentary on and practice manual for the Ultimate Continuum.

1474 CE

Shākya Chokden composed his Explanation of Buddhagarbha: An Essence of Sūtra and Tantra highlighting his position that real Buddha-Nature does not exist in sentient beings.

By 1899 CE

Jamgon Kongtrul Lodrö Taye wrote his experiential commentary on the Ultimate Continuum in which he presents the understanding of Other Emptiness.

c. 1900 CE

Khenpo Zhenpen Chokyi Nangwa, also known as Zhenga, composed his annotated commentaries on the 13 great Indian treatises which came to be widely used in shedra curriculum.

c. 1272

Drogön Chögyal Pakpa wrote his synopsis of the Ultimate Continuum in the palace of Kubilai Khan in China.

c. 1350 CE

Gyalse Tokme Zangpo wrote his commentary on the Ultimate Continuum illuminating the definitive meaning in E temple.

c. 1200 CE

Jetsun Drakpa Gyaltsen composed his notes on the Ultimate Continuum entitled the Unmistaken Intent of Maitreya.

c. 1230 CE

Sakya Paṇḍita Kuenga Gyeltsen critiqued the other theories of Buddha-Nature and presented Buddha-Nature as unchanging sphere of reality in his Distinguishing the Three Vows. He argued the Buddha-nature sūtras teaching innate enlightenment are provisional teachings.

c. 1240 CE

Lodrö Tsungme of Sangpu Neutok composed his commentary on the Ultimate Continuum entitled The Precious Lamp That Illuminates the Definitive Meaning of the Mahāyāna Uttaratantra Treatise which is aligned to the interpretation in the meditative tradition.

c. 1270 CE

Kyotön Mönlam Tsultrim, the eight abbot of Narthang, composed many works on Buddha-Nature including his Instructions on the Ultimate Continuum of the Mahāyāna and promoted the meditative tradition from Tsen Khawoche.

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c. 1300 CE

One Yarlung Lotsāwa, according to Gö Lotsāwa Zhönu Pal, is said to have translated the Ultimate Continuum.

By 1305

Chomden Rikpai Raldri, the Narthang scholar, composed his Ornamental Flowers: A Commentary on the Mahāyāna Uttaratantra and explained Buddha-Nature to be an emptiness indivisible from awareness.

c. 1320 CE

The third Karmapa Rangjung Dorje composed his Treatise on Pointing Out the Tathāgata Heart, commentary on Dharmadhātustava and other writings related to Buddha-Nature.

c. 1330 CE

Dolpopa Sherab Gyeltsen wrote his tour de force Mountain Doctrine and many other works and he expounded the philosophy of zhentong or 'other-emptiness', in which conventional phenomena are empty of self existence and Buddha-Nature is the ultimate absolute reality endowed will all qualities of the Buddha.

c. 1340

Tanak Rinchen Yeshe, who was a teacher of both Tokme Zangpo and Dolpopa, wrote his Illumination of the Definitive Meaning: A Commentary on the Uttaratantra in Relation to the Sūtras which presents an promo-zhentong interpretation.

c. 1350 CE

Longchenpa Drime Õzer composed his Seven Treasures, Trilogy of Relaxation and Trilogy of Liberation in which he presented Buddha-Nature as empty luminous nature of the mind.

c. 1350 CE

Sazang Mati Paṇchen Lodrö Gyeltsen improves the Tibetan translation of the Ultimate Continuum and writes his long exposition.

c. 1425 CE

Jonang Lotsāwa improved the translation of the Ultimate Continuum.

c. 1550 CE

The eighth Karmapa Mikyö Dorje wrote his The Lamp That Excellently Elucidates the System of the Proponents of the Other-Emptiness Madhyamaka and other works and highlighted the understanding of 'expanse zhentong'.

c. 1899 CE

Kongtrul Lodöe Taye composed his commentary on the 'Ultimate Continuum.

1983 CE

The 69th Je Khenpo Gendun Rinchen composed his commentary on the Ultimate Continuum in Phajoding.

c. 1990 CE

Muge Samten Gyatso composed his commentary on the 'Ultimate Continuum]] as requested by one Lobzang Tashi but the commentary is incomplete due to his illness.

2002 CE

Troru Tsenam completed his commentary on the 'Ultimate Continuum which is based on the transcription of his lectures.

c. 1900 CE

Khenpo Zhenga alias Zhenpen Chökyi Nangwa composed his interlinear commentary on the Ultimate Continuum as part of the thirteen great treatises.

c. 1200 CE

Drakpa Gyeltsen, one of the Sakya hierarchs composed his synopsis of the 'Ultimate Continuum.

1359 CE

Butön Rinchen Drup wrote his Ornament That Illuminates and Beautifies the Tathāgata Heart and underscored that the Buddha-Nature teachings are expedient provisional teachings and not to be taken literally.

1359 CE

Butön Rinchen Drup wrote his Ornament That Illuminates and Beautifies the Tathāgata Heart and underscored that the Buddha-Nature teachings are expedient provisional teachings and not to be taken literally.

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prabhāsvaratā - In a general sense, that which clears away darkness, though it often appears in Buddhist literature in reference to the mind or its nature. It is a particularly salient feature of Tantric literature, especially in regard to the advanced meditation techniques of the completion-stage yogas. Skt. प्रभास्वर Tib. འོད་གསལ་ Ch. 光明

Tsen Tradition - Tsen Khawoche's "meditative tradition" of exegesis of the Uttaratantra; it is one of two major Tibetan traditions of exegesis, both stemming from students of Sajjana. Tib. བཙན་ལུགས་