Buddha Nature Talks
In Buddhist philosophy, Buddha-nature is the potential for all sentient beings to become a Buddha or the fact that all beings already have a pure buddha-essence within. "Buddha-nature" is the common English translation for several related Mahayana Buddhist terms, most notably tathāgatagarbha and buddhadhātu, but also sugatagarbha, and buddhagarbha. Tathāgatagarbha can mean "the womb" or "embryo" (garbha) of the "thus-gone one" (tathāgata), and can also mean "containing a tathāgata". Buddhadhātu can mean "buddha-element," "buddha-realm" or "buddha-substrate".
Buddha-nature has a wide range of (sometimes conflicting) meanings in Indian and later East Asian and Tibetan Buddhist literature. Broadly speaking, it refers to the belief that the luminous mind, "the natural and true state of the mind," which is pure (visuddhi) mind undefiled by kleshas, is inherently present in every sentient being, and is eternal and unchanging. It will shine forth when it is cleansed of the defilements, that is, when the nature of mind is recognised for what it is.
The Mahāyāna Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra (written 2nd century CE), which was very influential in the Chinese reception of these teachings, linked the concept of tathāgatagarbha with the buddhadhātu. The term buddhadhātu originally referred to buddha relics. In the Mahāparinirvāṇa, it came to be used in place of the concept of tathāgatagārbha, reshaping the worship of physical buddha relics of the Buddha into worship of the inner Buddha as a principle of salvation.
The primordial or undefiled mind, the tathagatagarbha, is also often equated with emptiness; with the alayavijñana ("storehouse-consciousness", a yogacara concept); and with the interpenetration of all dharmas (in East Asian traditions like Huayan). Buddha nature ideas are central to East Asian Buddhism, which relies on key buddha-nature sources like the Mahāparinirvāṇa. In Tibetan Buddhism, buddha-nature ideas are also important, and are often studied through the key Indian treatise on buddha-nature, the Ratnagotravibhāga.
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SF SeminarSerial: SF-00022 Myths and legends in religious traditions; natural and supernatural language. Attachment, Heart Sutra, Religion, Emptiness, Buddha Nature, Transmission, Enemies,... |
Feb 22 1973 |
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May 20th, 1973, Serial No. 00127 Samsara, Anger, Buddha Nature, Intimacy, Suffering |
May 20 1973 |
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May 20th, 1973, Serial No. 00149 Samsara, Anger, Buddha Nature, Intimacy, Big Mind |
May 20 1973 |
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August 4th, 1973, Serial No. 00136 Pain, Sangha, Posture, Concentration, Buddha Nature |
Aug 04 1973 |
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August 16th, 1973, Serial No. 00141 Buddha Nature, Greed, Love, Daily Life, Hindrances |
Aug 16 1973 |
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January 20th, 1974, Serial No. 00246 Practice Period, Buddha Nature, Breath, Posture, Bodhidharma |
Jan 20 1974 |
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February 3rd, 1974, Serial No. 00250 Lotus Sutra, Bodhidharma, Buddha Nature, Nirvana, Precepts |
Feb 03 1974 |
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February 9th, 1974, Serial No. 00255 Joshu, Pain, Happiness, Buddha Nature |
Feb 09 1974 |
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February 22nd, 1974, Serial No. 00266 Bodhidharma, Money, Transmission, Buddha Nature |
Feb 22 1974 |
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April 4th, 1974, Serial No. 00502 heart, Intimacy, Heart Sutra, Oneness, Buddha Nature |
Apr 04 1974 |
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June 17th, 1974, Serial No. 00158 Lineage, Sangha, Buddha Nature, Pain, Hyakujo |
Jun 17 1974 |
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June 17th, 1974, Serial No. 00514 Lineage, Sangha, Buddha Nature, Pain, Hyakujo |
Jun 17 1974 |
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December 6th, 1974, Serial No. 00542 Rinzai, Tenzo, Tozan, Buddha Nature, Joshu |
Dec 06 1974 |
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December 6th, 1974, Serial No. 00625 Rinzai, Tozan, Tenzo, Buddha Nature, Sekito Kisen |
Dec 06 1974 |
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April 7th, 1975, Serial No. 00280 Buddha Nature, Delusion, Kinhin, Nirvana, Samsara |
Apr 07 1975 |
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April 7th, 1975, Serial No. 00310 Buddha Nature, Delusion, Kinhin, Nirvana, Samsara |
Apr 07 1975 |
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August 27th, 1975, Serial No. 00103 Bell, Subject-and-Object, Concentration, Interdependence, Buddha Nature, Suffering,... |
Aug 27 1975 |
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September 8th, 1975, Serial No. 00074 Transmission, Soto Zen, Discrimination, Buddha Nature, soto, realization, Separation... |
Sep 08 1975 |
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February 14th, 1976, Serial No. 00343 Hyakujo, causation, Fox, Buddha Nature |
Feb 14 1976 |
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February 19th, 1976, Serial No. 00062 Avalokiteshvara, Joshu, Compassion, Buddha Nature |
Feb 19 1976 |
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February 20th, 1976, Serial No. 00204 Intention, Death, Buddha Nature, Letting Go, Zendo |
Feb 20 1976 |
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August 29th, 1976, Serial No. 00084 Silence, Buddha Nature, Hate, Beginners, Anger, Describe, Fox, Balance, Emotions,... |
Aug 29 1976 |
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December 20th, 1976, Serial No. 00063 Intention, Death, Buddha Nature, Letting Go, Zendo |
Dec 20 1976 |
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July 11th, 1977, Serial No. 00054 Truth, Offering, Way-Seeking Mind, Renewal, Buddha Nature |
Jul 11 1977 |
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August 1977 talk, Serial No. 00095 Happiness, realization, Buddha Nature, Transmission, Consciousness, Beginners,... |
Aug 1977 |
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August 19th, 1977, Serial No. 00089 Transmission, Dharma Transmission, Buddha Nature, lecture, realization, Rinzai, soto... |
Aug 19 1977 |
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August 24th, 1977, Serial No. 00092 Subject-and-Object, Intuition, Hindrances, Compassion, Continuous, training, Buddha... |
Aug 24 1977 |
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August 26th, 1977, Serial No. 00094 realization, Buddha Nature, Dharma Transmission, Religion, lecture, Vinaya, Intention... |
Aug 26 1977 |
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August 29th, 1977, Serial No. 00097 Buddha Nature, realization, Oneness, Suffering, Interview, Ego, Precepts, Nirvana,... |
Aug 29 1977 |
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August 30th, 1977, Serial No. 00098 Evil, Buddha Nature, Impermanence, Nirvana, confusion, Religion, realization,... |
Aug 30 1977 |
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August 30th, 1977, Serial No. 00099 Compassion, Transmission, Politics, Attachment, Don't Know Mind, Buddha Nature,... |
Aug 30 1977 |
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September 1st, 1977, Serial No. 00101 Compassion, Fox, causation, lecture, Anger, Teacher-and-Student, Buddha Nature,... |
Sep 01 1977 |
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Foundation Practices Seminar, Serial 00075 Buddha Nature, Right Effort, Bodhisattva Vow, Renunciation, Greed, Conversation,... |
Feb 24 1978 1 and 2 New York City? |
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March 18th, 1978, Serial No. 00575 Buddha Nature, Dharmakaya, Money, Mandala, Vows |
Mar 18 1978 |
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March 30th, 1978, Serial No. 00572, Side B Love, Happiness, Buddha Nature, Ceremony, Posture |
Mar 30 1978 |
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April 4th, 1978, Serial No. 00583 Money, Big Mind, Buddha Nature, Lineage, Intention |
Apr 04 1978 |
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March 1st, 1979, Serial No. 00121 Fox, Funeral, causation, Buddha Nature, Karma, Interdependence, Discrimination... |
Mar 01 1979 |
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April 1st, 1979, Serial No. 00602 War, Buddha Nature, Building, Concentration, Money |
Apr 01 1979 |
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April 1st, 1979, Serial No. 00617 Intention, Concentration, Building, Daily Life, Buddha Nature |
Apr 01 1979 |
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August 15th, 1979, Serial No. 00608 Breath, Buddha Nature, Passions, Shuso Ceremony, Instruction |
Aug 15 1979 |
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October 1st, 1979, Serial No. 00189 training, Buddha Nature, Fox, Practice Period, Greed |
Oct 01 1979 |
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December 2nd, 1979, Serial No. 00619 Funeral, Concentration, Practice Period, Chanting, Buddha Nature |
Dec 02 1979 |
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December 3rd, 1979, Serial No. 00620 Buddha Nature, Practice Period, Dharmakaya, Lineage, Bowing |
Dec 03 1979 |
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December 4th, 1979, Serial No. 00621 Buddha Nature, Samsara, Nirvana, Practice Period, Concentration |
Dec 04 1979 |
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December 5th, 1979, Serial No. 00622 Samsara, Interdependence, Buddha Nature, Okesa, Precepts |
Dec 05 1979 |
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December 13th, 1979, Serial No. 00137 Concentration, Emotions, Right Effort, Separation, realization, Suffering, Oneness,... |
Dec 13 1979 |
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December 13th, 1979, Serial No. 00138 realization, Concentration, Buddha Nature, Right Effort, Building, Subject-and-Object... |
Dec 13 1979 |
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The Nature of Mind, Serial 00069 Buddha Nature, Sutra, Non-duality, Concentration, true dharma, Right Effort,... |
Feb 05 1980 |
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Ngon Dro, and sleep yoga of Amitabha, Serial 00011 Buddha Nature, Conversation, Breath, Hindrances, Intention, Describe, Beginners... |
Apr 20 1980 |
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February 3rd, 1981, Serial No. 00399 Consciousness, Bell, Teacher-and-Student, Concentration, Right Speech, Buddha Nature... |
Feb 03 1981 |