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.
Title | Speaker | |
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Why Then Is It Necessary To Accept PreceptsPrecepts, Precepts, Big Mind, Buddha Nature, training, Religion, Observe, Priest,... |
Jul 17 1971 City Center |
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OLD - Why Then Is It Necessary To Accept PreceptsPrecepts, Precepts, Big Mind, Religion, Truth, Buddha Nature, training, Hate, Observe... |
Jul 17 1971 City Center |
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July 1971 talk, Serial No. 00254 Monastic Practice, Mindfulness, Buddha Nature, Enthusiasm, Posture, Ego, training,... |
Jul 1971 |
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June 24th, 1971, Serial No. 00255 Consciousness, Ceremony, Attachment, Buddha Nature, Impermanence, Conversation,... |
Jun 24 1971 |
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June 22nd, 1971, Serial No. 00250 Attachment, Buddha Nature, Nirvana, Lotus Sutra, Commitment, Describe, Community,... |
Jun 22 1971 |
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June 17th, 1971, Serial No. 00251 Lotus Sutra, Happiness, difficulty, Buddha Nature, Oneness, Breath, Lay, realization... |
Jun 17 1971 |
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Precepts as Original NaturePrecepts, Bodhidharma, Precepts, Concentration, Building, Posture, New Year,... |
Jun 12 1971 City Center |
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The Teaching Just for YouSerial: SR-00147 Sesshin Lecture No. 1 Sesshin, Precepts, Dragons, Bodhidharma, Truth, sitting, Buddha Nature, Politics,... |
Jun 05 1971 City Center |
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April 27th, 1971, Serial No. 00331 Breath, Compassion, Observe, Posture, Buddha Nature, Consciousness, Precepts, Silence... |
Apr 27 1971 |
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April 10th, 1971, Serial No. 00327 Birth-and-Death, Ego, Gratitude, Zendo, Subject-and-Object, Buddha Nature, Evil,... |
Apr 10 1971 |
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April 5th, 1971, Serial No. 00325 Happiness, Consciousness, Don't Know Mind, Buddha Nature, Delusion, stubbornness... |
Apr 05 1971 |
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April 4th, 1971, Serial No. 00324 Breath, difficulty, Consciousness, Buddha Nature, training, Obstacles, Posture,... |
Apr 04 1971 |
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April 2nd, 1971, Serial No. 00321 Breath, Posture, Buddha Nature, Evil, Instruction, Meditation, lecture |
Apr 02 1971 |
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April 2nd, 1971, Serial No. 00322 Breath, Buddha Nature, Delusion, Ego, lecture, Building |
Apr 02 1971 |
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January 19th, 1971, Serial No. 00311 lecture, Bell, Community, Buddha Nature, Discrimination, Dragons, Mahayana,... |
Jan 19 1971 |
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1971, Serial No. 00314 Discrimination, Pain, Beginners, Buddha Nature, Religion, Interdependence, Lineage,... |
1971 |
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November 20th, 1970, Serial No. 00065 Soto Zen, Birth-and-Death, Buddha Nature, Building, Zendo, soto, Continuous, Describe... |
Nov 20 1970 |
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October 5th, 1970, Serial No. 00221 Silence, Patience, Buddha Nature, Mahayana, American, Community |
Oct 05 1970 |
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September 13th, 1970, Serial No. 00308 Ceremony, Chanting, Buddha Nature, Posture, Lay, Bowing, Oneness, Culture, Describe,... |
Sep 13 1970 |
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When Someone Receives TransmissionSerial: SR-00071 Tuesday, August 25, 1970 Transmission, Priest, Buddha Nature, Culture, Forms, American, Death, Truth |
Aug 25 1970 City Center |
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OLD - 1970.08.07-serial.00168 Buddha Nature, American, Breath, Describe, Evil, heart, Building, Death |
Aug 07 1970 |
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Walk like an Elephant and Sitting like a FrogSerial: SR-00066 True Practice As Expression Of Buddha-Nature Sesshin, Sengai, Buddha Nature, Family Practice, War, Bodhidharma, Zazen, Monks... |
Aug 02 1970 City Center |
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Observation of Precepts and Practice of Zazen is Same ThingSerial: SF-06049 Sesshin Lecture No. 1 Sesshin, Precepts, Precepts, Doubt, Buddha Nature, Faith, Ceremony, Ordination, Lay,... |
Aug 01 1970 City Center |
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August 1st, 1970, Serial No. 00306 Emotions, Mindfulness, Observe, Anger, Buddha Nature, Patience, lecture, Obstacles,... |
Aug 01 1970 |
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July 30th, 1970, Serial No. 00299 Bell, Breath, Buddha Nature, Posture, lecture, American, Instruction, Building... |
Jul 30 1970 |
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Ekō Lecture 6Serial: SR-00230 The Fourth Morning Eko [This is the last in a series of six lectures by Suzuki on the four ekos chanted at the conclusion of... Eko, Chanting, Monks, Priest, Offering, Buddha Nature, Wisdom, Observe, Separation,... |
Jul 15 1970 Tassajara |
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July 14th, 1970, Serial No. 00198 Obstacles, Buddha Nature, Hate, Hindrances, causation, Enemies, Observe, confusion,... |
Jul 14 1970 |
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Ekō Lecture 2Serial: SR-00229 The Second Morning Eko, Part 1 of 3 [This is the second in a series of six lectures by Suzuki on the four ekos chanted... Eko, Chanting, Chanting, Anger, Buddha Nature, Mahayana, heart, Karma, Meditation,... |
Jul 10 1970 Tassajara |
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July 7th, 1970, Serial No. 00236 Attachment, Buddha Nature, Observe, Liberation, Sanctuary, Building, Precepts,... |
Jul 07 1970 |
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OLD - 1970.06.07-serial.00226Serial: SR-00226 Reel is mislabeled. This is part of the transcript from 70-07-06. Buddha Nature, Wisdom, War |
Jul 06 1970 |
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July 6th, 1970, Serial No. 00307 Obstacles, Hindrances, Buddha Nature, Consciousness, Ego, Delusion, Religion,... |
Jul 06 1970 |
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Without Any Idea of AttainmentSerial: SR-00061 Sandokai Lecture VIII [The following lines of the Sandokai are discussed in this lecture: Line 21 Manako wa iro,... Branching Streams, Sandokai, Precepts, Subject-and-Object, reality, Oneness, Monks,... |
Jun 17 1970 Tassajara |
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June 16th, 1970, Serial No. 00234 Describe, Mahayana, Happiness, Buddha Nature, Discrimination, Culture, Anger,... |
Jun 16 1970 |
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Today We May Be Very HappySerial: SR-00057 Sandokai Lecture VI [This lecture is concerned with the following lines of the Sandokai: Shiki moto shitsuzo wo... Branching Streams, Sandokai, Happiness, Zazen, Suffering, Pain, Buddha Nature,... |
Jun 10 1970 Tassajara |
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Buddha Is Always HereSerial: SR-00051 Sandokai Lecture III [The following lines of the Sandokai are discussed in this lecture: Line 5 Reigen myoni kokettari... Branching Streams, Sandokai, Emptiness, Buddha Nature, Suffering, Truth, Compassion,... |
Jun 01 1970 Tassajara |
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Money And LaborSerial: SR-00046 Sunday Morning, May 24, 1970 Buddha Nature, Discrimination, Monks, Priest, Faith |
May 24 1970 City Center |
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May 12th, 1970, Serial No. 00231 Mahayana, Precepts, Patience, Describe, Meditation, Enemies, Observe, Buddha Nature,... |
May 12 1970 |
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Sincere Practice and Way-Seeking MindSerial: SR-00043 Sesshin Lecture No. 3, Sunday, May 3, 1970 Sesshin, American, Transmission, stubbornness, Buddha Nature, Hate, realization,... |
May 03 1970 City Center |
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Sincere PracticeSerial: SR-00140 How To Have Sincere Practice Tatsugami, Dogen, Precepts, Monks, Intuition, Don't Know Mind, Posture, Buddha... |
Apr 28 1970 City Center |
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Lecture To Prof. Lewis R. Lancaster's Visiting ClassSerial: SR-00259 Practice and enlightnment as forgetting and letting go of everything. Even if we don't know what real practice is, continuing and allowing it to reveal itself. Answering... Buddha, Emptiness, Zazen, Don't Know Mind, Emptiness, Building, Suzuki Roshi,... |
Mar 01 1970 Tassajara |
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Selflessness, Being and Non-Being: The Background of ShikantazaSerial: SR-00261 Sesshin Lecture No. 1: Sesshin, Buddha Nature, Emptiness, Evil, Mahayana, Posture, Freedom, Continuous,... |
Feb 23 1970 City Center |
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Brown Rice is Just RightSerial: SR-00247 Morning Sesshin Lecture Sesshin, Emptiness, Discrimination, Buddha Nature, training, Hate, Suffering, Pain,... |
Feb 01 1970 A City Center |
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Caring for the SoilSerial: SR-00199 Mahayana and Hinayana Buddhism Emptiness, Mahayana, Buddha Nature, difficulty, Greed, Gratitude, lecture, Hate... |
Jan 25 1970 City Center |
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December 28th, 1969, Serial No. 00043 training, New Year, Don't Know Mind, difficulty, Buddha Nature, Meditation,... |
Dec 28 1969 |
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Some QuestionsLotus Sutra, Time, Ego, Wisdom, Passions, Mindfulness, Buddha Nature, Culture,... |
Nov 11 1969 |
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October 28th, 1969, Serial No. 00419 Buddha Nature, American, Building, Money, zen meditation |
Oct 28 1969 |
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Lotus Sutra, Lecture No. III-4Serial: SR-00038 [Third Lotus Sutra Series] Lotus Sutra, First Principle, Wisdom, Buddha Nature, Sutra, Priest, Mahayana,... |
Oct 25 1969 Series 3, Talk 4 Tassajara |
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New Students' QuestionsSerial: SR-00211 Tuesday, October 14, 1969 Question-and-Answer, Bodhisattva Vow, War, Buddha Nature, Addiction, Diversity, Vows... |
Oct 14 1969 |
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October 7th, 1969, Serial No. 00033 Silence, difficulty, Meditation, Buddha Mind, Enemies, Buddha Nature, Discrimination... |
Oct 07 1969 |
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OLD - Wherever You Are, Enlightenment Is ThereSerial: SF-06103 Summer Sesshin 1969 Suzuki Roshi 1st night lecture ZMC transcribed - duplicate Five Ranks, Buddha Nature, Composure, Oneness, Evil, Hate, Doubt |
Sep 1969 Tassajara |