Buddha-nature

Buddha-nature (originally in Sanskrit, "Buddha-dhatu" - "Buddha Element", "Buddha-Principle") is a doctrine important for many schools of Mahayana Buddhism. The Buddha-nature ("Buddha-dhatu") is taught to be a truly real eternal potential or principle, present in all sentient beings, for awakening and becoming Enlightened. The Buddha-nature doctrine relates to the possession by sentient beings of the innate buddha-mind or buddha-element ("Buddha-dhatu"), which is, prior to the full attainment of buddhahood, not fully actualized, or at least not clearly seen and known in its full radiance. Buddha-nature is considered to be incorruptible, uncreated, and indestructible. It is eternal Nirvana indwelling Samsara, and thus opens up the immanent possibility of Liberation from all suffering and impermanence. The development of the Buddha-nature doctrine is closely related to that of tathagatagarbha (Sanskrit: "womb of the thus-come one"), which the Buddha of the "Anunatva-Apurnatva-Nirdesa" sutra links to the "Dharmadhatu" (true, unfabricated essence of all phenomena) and essential being, stating: "What I call 'be-ing' is just a different name for this permanent, stable, pure and unchanging refuge that is free from arising and cessation, the inconceivable pure Dharmadhatu." This eternal refuge of the Dharmadhatu/Buddha-dhatu (transcendentally void of all that is contingent and productive of suffering) is equated in the "Mahayana Mahaparinirvana Sutra" with Buddhic Knowledge ("jnana"), which perceives both non-Self and the Self, Emptiness ("sunyata") and non-Emptiness, where (according to the Buddha of the "Mahayana Mahaparinirvana Sutra") "the Empty is the totality of Samsara and the non-Empty is Great Nirvana".

Related Topics:
Sanskrit - Mahayana - Buddhism - Eternal - Sentient - Enlightened - Buddhahood - Tathagatagarbha - Anunatva-Apurnatva-Nirdesa - Mahayana Mahaparinirvana Sutra

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Buddha-nature was not universally accepted in Indian Mahayana, but did become a cornerstone of East Asian Buddhist soteriological thought in terms of the essence-function paradigm or of a vision of an ultimate, undying Buddhic Element within all beings, as explained in texts such as the Tathagatagarbha Sutra, the "Mahayana Mahaparinirvana Sutra", and the Buddha-nature Treatise.

Related Topics:
India - Soteriological - Essence-function - Tathagatagarbha Sutra - Mahayana Mahaparinirvana Sutra - Buddha-nature Treatise

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~